


Lessons of Life and Love

by MidnightJournalist



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha Victor Nikiforov, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Barbaric Customs, Dubious Consent, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mating Bond, Mating Contracts, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Omega Katsuki Yuuri, Slow Burn, arranged mating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-03-23 02:19:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 45,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13777620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightJournalist/pseuds/MidnightJournalist
Summary: Yuuri heard the tales of the Hunt growing up, never thinking he’d participate in such a thing. Alphas paying for the privilege to ‘hunt down’ and claim their Omega mates. The long standing ritual seemed old fashioned and barbaric…a cruel fate for the Omegas who participated...Now he has no choice. Too old to find a match on his own and his family needing money to support themselves, Yuuri gives up the only thing he can. He doesn't want to, but sometimes life gives you little surprises and you learn things about life and love along the way.





	1. Lesson 1: All Choices Have Their Consequences

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all!  
> So I'm starting something new. I've not given up on Here's To Us, and I still plan on writing for my other verses. Inspiration struck and I wanted to run with it. Something with a little darker twist than what I'm used to writing, but as long as you mind the tags, you'll be all right and I'll update them as needed. There will be more couples, but I'm not going to tag them until later. Victor and Yuuri will be my main focus and the other couples will be more in the background, but will crop up occasionally.
> 
> A little bit of a short chapter, but I'm hoping to make them longer and to get back on a regular posting schedule. I'm gonna try for once a week, but life has it's little ways of throwing things in, so fingers crossed. Anyway, hope you enjoy and please leave comments/kudos if you like the story!

The cool early spring air caused Yuuri to shiver, pulling at his thin jacket closer in an attempt to warm himself again. When he left Japan for Russia, he hadn’t counted on the temperature being so much colder than he was used to. He didn’t want to linger outside the large mansion, not that his escorts would let him. Since the moment he signed his contract, his life no longer belonged to him alone.

They led him forcibly in the house, barking brisk orders at the people inside. The Russian tongue sounded harsh to Yuuri’s ears though he doubted he’d be listening to it for long. It just so happened that St. Petersburg hosted the Annual Hunt this year.

Yuuri heard the tales of the Hunt growing up, never thinking he’d participate in such a thing. Alphas paying for the privilege to ‘hunt down’ and claim their Omega mates. The long standing ritual seemed old fashioned and barbaric…a cruel fate for the Omegas who were originally forced to participate. Now Omegas signed contracts to be a part of the hunt, their families given a fortune for their Omega children’s participation.

Yuuri loathed the idea growing up. He’d sworn to never consider participating and his family let the decision fall to him. He held ideals of being courted by an Alpha…to fall in love.

Years past and Yuuri remained unbonded…too plain to be eye candy for an Alpha. His scent often sneered at for being too floral…fresh lavender and cherry blossoms. He gained weight easily as a child, so sometimes he was too chubby for a prospective match. When he lost weight, keeping up with his dance training or skating on the ice, he gained too much muscle. His body had scars from his falls, calloused working hands from helping his parents at the inn, and stretch marks from his weight gain. He wore glasses, his eyesight poor. Constantly teased and belittled, his confidence sank until he fell out the age range deemed a proper mating age. He still had the selling point of having his virginity intact, something that not many Omegas his age could claim.

Now at 23, the Hunt became his only option to find a mate. He held out as long as he could, but the inn fell on hard times. His little seaside hometown could no longer support the residents that lived there for years. Tourists didn’t come there as they didn’t have much to attract them. Fewer locals had the means to spend on eating in the dinning hall or bathing in the springs. His parents had become too old to start over again. Their options were limited, so Yuuri did the only thing he could do.

His handlers led him to a normal bedroom. They told him to get some rest and that food and a a fresh change of clothes would be brought to him later before leaving him alone with his thoughts. Once the door closed he finally allowed the emotions to well up inside of him, tears spilling from his eyes. He choked back a sob, not wanting them to hear. This would be the last time he’d allow himself to cry over this.

He made his bed, so he needed to just learn to accept it and move on…for his family so they could have a future. It was all he could do for them, but deep down, he still didn’t want this.

He thought he’d come to accept this. He’d been counseled before signing his contract on what to expect…told how he should act and what to do and not do. It swung hard to the traditional aesthetic to how Omegas were supposed to behave and Yuuri hated every minute of it. They told him it was better for him to be more reserved in case he got a traditional Alpha, but Yuuri couldn’t let go of being allowed to do what he wanted…not completely anyway.

His parents told him he didn’t have to do this. They’d find a way to survive despite their struggles, but he tried to act like he wanted this. He didn’t want to make them worry about him, for them to remember the good times they shared in case he’d never be able to see them again. He negotiated a lot of money before signing his contract. Enough so that his parents would be set for the rest of their lives and his sister could continue to keep the inn open.

Tears ran out not long after they begun and Yuuri tried to steel his resolve again. It’s not like he could back out now. His parents had their money and he’d be mated to an Alpha in a matter of days. Hopefully one of them would at least be willing to settle on him. If not, he might be able to walk away from all this, but he knew he’d never be that lucky.

Who knew what kind of Alpha he’d get. In the past he wished for a kind Alpha, one who would see past his secondary gender and see him for who he was. Then again, he knew the rumors. Those kinds of Alphas didn’t participate in the Hunt. Rumor had it there were either older Alphas who focused on their careers or who had lost a mate, or young arrogant knot heads looking for more of a quick fuck than a long term mate. Yuuri didn’t have any high hopes, but he had to hold on to something.

He could do this…he had to.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The sound of blades scraping across the ice echoed through the empty rink. A mere few seconds of silence as the skater launched himself into the air, spinning rapidly before his blades touched down on the ice. An Alpha with the grace of an Omega dancing on the frozen surface. Another figure watched from the side of the rink, green eyes following the skater’s every move as a small smirk graced his face.

“Victor!” He called to the man on the ice, causing the skater to pause, spinning around to face him. Blue eyes stared into green as Victor skated over to the rink side so he didn’t have to yell. He reached back to pull his long hair free from his hair tie letting it spill down his back.

“Chris,” Victor greeted. “I thought you weren’t coming in until tomorrow.”

“Yes, well I came early because I have a surprise for you.” Chris said, holding up an envelope in his hand. He handed it over to Victor.

“What’s this?” Victor asked, even as he opened up the envelope to read the contents inside. Chris waited silently watching the confusion and then surprise crossed filled his gaze.

“This is…” Victor looked up at him.

“It’s an invitation…the this year’s Hunt.”

Victor scowled, waving the invitation in his hand. It looked out of place on his usually cheery features “Chris, you know I don’t believe in this sort of thing. It’s barbaric, forcing Omegas into a loveless bonding.”

This time Chris looked surprised. “You weren’t saying that the last time we got drunk together, _mon ami_. As I recall, you complained about how lonely you were with just your dog and empty house. Plus you said your coach was pushing you to find a mate sooner rather than later. The system isn’t perfect, but maybe you can get an Omega to fall in love with you. Plus they do sign a contract…they agree to participate.”

“They’re practically bullied into it or they’re desperate for the money that’s offered. It’s not right.” Victor argued.

“It’s up to you, Victor. Though getting an invitation to participate in the Hunt is difficult. There are only so many Omegas that participate every year. The least you can do is come cheer me on.”

“You’re participating?”

Chris smiled sheepishly. “I sent in our requests together. I’m getting old too. My family has been hounding me to settle down and so has my coach. It’s better this way and the way I see it, better that I claim an Omega and take them into my care than to let them slip into the hands of someone who would be cruel to them. They may not know how we’ll treat them as mates, but as their Alphas, we can show them they don’t have anything to fear from us. It’s better than the alternative.”

Victor really didn’t know what to say to that right away. Chris had some good points, but he didn’t know if he could do this even if that meant finding an Omega to end his loneliness and start a family.

“I’ll think about it.” He settled on. “I’ll let you know.”

“You don’t have much time. I need an answer by tomorrow or I have to tell them you’re no longer interested so they can find another Alpha. Think hard, Victor. Who knows? You might meet the love of your life there.”

With a wave of his hand, Chris left Victor there mulling over the invitation in his hand. Despite his reservations, his thoughts lingered over the potential having a mate.

Victor had just turned 27, past the usual Alpha mating age. Instead of thinking about mating and starting a family, he’d focused on his career. A champion figure skater, he’d practically sold his soul to the ice to push himself to win over and over again, constantly swiping gold away from all his competitors. He was the five time defending champion at the Figure Skating Grand Prix, Russian Nationals, European Champion, and World Champion. He was gearing up for his fourth Olympic run at the end of the following year and didn’t have time to think about living his life or finding love.

Still, Chris had dangled an opportunity in front of him, one that he’d be foolish to pass up. It’s not like he had time to properly court a mate, but to go to an event where he’d practically have to ‘hunt down’ a mate and claim them….

He’d heard the stories of conquests from Alphas who returned from the Hunt. They were often followed by some meek little obedient Omega who spooked easily. The handful of ‘defiant’ Omegas were often punished in front of the crowd and often reduced to the former by the next time Victor saw them again. The Hunt almost never boded well for Omegas.

Really, all Victor wanted was the kind of love his parents had. His father had claimed his mother as part of the Hunt, that much he knew, but they were partners…as equal as society would allow their secondary genders to be. His parents had not loved each other at first, but fell in love.

Victor could try to do that, but the chances his chosen Omega might love him back looked slim. Since the rules of the hunt changed, and Omegas signed contracts to participate, often those Omegas had already lost everything or sold by their families for the money. Last year’s hunt even had a fourteen year old girl, sold by her parents to pay off gambling debts. It sickened Victor to think someone so young, who hadn’t had a chance to live was bought and sold for greed.

He stuffed the invite back into the envelope and tossed it on the table where he left his phone in frustration. Roughly, he took the hair tie and pulled his hair back up away from his face, securing it in a messy bun. No one would be her to see him and as the ice seemed to be his only solace, it had become the best way to burn off his frustrations. Pushing away from the barrier, he skated back to the center ice, stretching and moving his body to loosen up before going still.

He began to move his body to the music only he could hear. Longing filled his movements as he slipped into his free skate routine with ease. He’d been doing it for a while so the movements came as naturally as breathing though a familiar ache settled back into his heart.

He longed for love…to live his life for more than the ice. No one understood him…stopped to see him beyond the skater on the ice. His celebrity status complicated his long time search though he’d never be able to truly give up the ice. Skating engraved itself down to the bone.

His routine had become a plea, to whom, Victor couldn’t be sure, but his longing continued to drive him until it became too much to bear. His choreography felt stale now…mechanical in ways only Victor saw…lacking inspiration and the passion that drove him to continue. He no longer surprised the people he skated in front of. They expected him to win, so win he did, but at the cost of his very being. His life turned into a never ending wheel of eat, train, and sleep with the occasional time he took to spend with his Makkachin or the times his coach forced him into a vacation he didn’t want.

Victor sighed, landing his final jump combination before his combination spin and he found himself holding his arms arms crossed as he looked to the ceiling in hope. The last notes of the aria he skated to leaving his mind with the words ‘Stay Close to Me’ echoing in the silence. Dropping his stance, he glanced over where he left the letter.

I was in that moment, he realized…his mind had already been made up…


	2. Lesson 2: The Thing About Surprises...They Come When You Least Expect Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As preparations begin for the Hunt, both Yuuri and Victor have second thoughts about their decisions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a day late. I had a lot going on and didn't get a chance to finish yesterday. I'm probably going to move my update day to Sunday just to give myself a little bit more time for the next update.
> 
> Thank you for all the kudos and comments. I'm sorry that I didn't get around to answering them all, but I really do appreciate everyone who commented and got excited about the next chapter. I hope that I can do the story justice. I hope you enjoy and continue to let me know what you think!

Throughout the entire week before the hunt, Yuuri felt more and more miserable about going on with this. The first few days he and the other participating Omegas were lectured and had to undergo rigorous lessons as part of their contracts. The topics ranged from on how to be good omega and what would be expected of them to how to seduce and please their new mates.

Yuuri heard all the things before, but this time they were expected to start practicing what they were ‘learning,’ something that he found embarrassing especially if they had to do it in front of the others. For someone like Yuuri, who’d been free to make his own choices for so long, it was a type of hell, but one he could grit his teeth and did what they told him to do along with the others.

One of the other Omegas, a blond teen who they were told was the youngest of the group, seemed to be the one having the hardest time. Too outspoken and often brash with his handlers, he often took the attention away from the other Omegas. Sometimes Yuuri felt grateful as it hid his own failings. Other times he felt a bit sorry for him knowing he didn’t deserve it. Still, once the teen shouted he didn’t need anyones help or pity anytime everyone tried to stepped in to help…he made it clear that he thought the rest of them pathetic for willingly going along with this.

Yuri turned his wrath directly on Yuuri quickly. On their second day there, Yuuri felt crushed under the pressure and had to go to the bathroom to keep from having a panic attack. The teen had walked in on him, taking one look and chewing him out for being a pathetic little cry baby. Shortly after that, Yuuri discovered they shared the same name, a fact that seemed to make the younger Yuri angrier. Since then, his gaze bore into the back of Yuuri’s head every chance that he got and older Omega actively went out of his way to avoid him.

Despite the drama, Yuuri managed to make friends with a Thai Omega named Phichit. While most of the other Omegas were a little standoffish towards each other, especially after Yuri’s brush off, Phichit didn’t let that faze him. He came off welcoming and warm to everyone, easing the tension in the room more often than not. Already having, some traditional training on how to be a proper Omega in his own culture and social practices, he could hold a room with ease at his leisure and read people better than anyone Yuuri knew.

Phichit came to Yuuri’s aid more often than not, helping him through the things he struggled with and offering an ally Yuuri desperately needed. Yuuri admired his new friend, considering he joined the Hunt to possibly find a foreign mate. The Thai Omega wanted to travel the world and see different cultures. He’d taken a few pictures from his arrival at the airport to the mansion of St. Petersburg, but he hoped his Alpha would take him out into the city once they were bonded. Yuuri admired that confidence and despite his own feelings, wished Phichit well in the Hunt.

Just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse, the organizers found a way to set his nerves on edge. Yuuri found out the day before that each Omega would be provided with an outfits to wear to meet the Alphas and a separate outfit to wear at the party to celebrate the successful hunt. Both outfit seemed innocent enough, but the moment Yuuri saw the one for the party…he almost lost his composure.

The black one piece looked skin tight, so it left little to the imagination. The mesh panels and even parts that flat out exposed his skin…Yuuri doubted he could confidently wear anything like that. Still, he’d been forced into the outfit so they could make their alterations. His face remained hot and he couldn’t look anyone in the eye for hours after the fact.

He had no energy left in him as he flopped on his bed that evening. They’d been allowed to go back to their rooms early to get a good nights sleep as they had to be up early in the morning to prepare to meet the Alphas tomorrow. At least that outfit had been far more modest, though Yuuri still wasn’t looking forward to it.

A knock on his door and the sound of it opening let him know that Phichit let himself in. Yuuri rolled over to see him grinning down, though it morphed into a bit of concern at Yuuri’s face.

“I take it you weren’t too thrilled about your outfits.” Phichit responded to the look Yuuri shot him.

“It was skin tight and my entire back was exposed. Plus it has see through panels.” Yuuri groaned. “Not that I want to, but I’m better off wearing nothing than wear that.”

“At least you’ll look sexy for your mate. Mind didn’t show off enough skin, not that I need to.” Phichit winked before hopping onto the bed looking just a little bit smug. “I bet you look great in it.”

Yuuri groaned at his enthusiasm. He didn’t want to think about that right now, but when the other Omega was determined, nothing could keep him away. “What do you want, Phichit?”

“I want to know what you plan to do about what we learned today…about the hunt.”

His new friend knew how he felt about the hunt, so it made sense that he’d come and ask that question. Yuuri glanced up at the ceiling, mind racing with all the new information they’d been given that afternoon…the details of the hunt. Yuuri didn’t want to think about most of what he learned over the week, but after they’d given him a small glimmer of hope…a possible way to survive the hunt unclaimed…it’d been all he could think about.

A time limit had been imposed on the Alphas. They only had six hours to find, capture, and claim their Omega. If they failed…if any of the Omega held out until time ran out, their families could keep the money and the Omega returned home free. Still, Yuuri knew the hunt had been designed to put the Omegas at a strong disadvantage. After all, they weren’t meant to just walk away. It didn’t mean they couldn’t try though and Yuuri planned on trying.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do yet, but I have to try. I know you want to go through with this Phichit, but I don’t want this. I did it for my family, but if there’s a way out…I have to try.”

“You know, no one’s ever done it before. The odds aren’t good at all.” Phichit sounded thoughtful not condescending. Just stating facts.

“Just because no one has, doesn’t mean I can’t do it. I’m trying and no one is changing my mind.” Yuuri wished he felt a lot more confident than he sounded. Still, he meant it despite his nerves.

“Sounds like your mind is made up. I’m not going to stop you, but Yuuri, you need think of a plan or you won’t make it very far.” Phichit paused. “And I’m rooting for you, but you should still think about what you’ll do if you fail.”

Yuuri was silent as Phichit slid off the bed and left him to his thoughts. He already knew what he’d do if he failed. He’d accept his new mate to an extent, but he didn’t plan on just laying over and becoming an obedient submissive Omega. That much he knew. Still, he needed to hurry up and get some sleep so that he could think clearly. Phichit was right about one thing. He needed a plan if he wanted to make it out unscathed.  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as Yuuri wanted them to. He didn’t sleep well that night, his mind too active and his nerves shot after the events of the day. By the time sleep claimed him, he maybe got a couple of hours before his handlers dragged him out of bed for hours of pampering and instruction.

He flushed in embarrassment as his plain clothes were stripped away and he found himself being scrubbed in the tub by head to toe. Exposed and embarrassed, he fought the urges to push the hands away as they did their jobs. They pampered him until his pale skin glowed and his skin felt soft, even to him, not that he could focus on that.

Yuuri felt a minimal relief when they finally let him out of the tub and let him cover up a bit. He wasn’t a stranger to being bare in front of people, living at an inn for so long, but now he felt vulnerable, exposed in ways he never thought he’d feel. Without missing a beat, they continued their work…styling his hair back away from his face, manicuring his nails on both hands and feet, even applying a bit of subtle make up to his face to accent his natural features. They wanted these Alphas to desire him, so they’d do whatever they deemed necessary to see that done.

It seemed to take forever, when it was a few hours of work. Once they finished making him look as best as they could. They took his glasses, giving him contacts instead and dressed him in his outfit for the afternoon. This outfit Yuuri could appreciate if he wasn’t so close to dropping. He felt grateful when they left him alone in the room with the instructions to remain there until someone came for him.

Yuuri moved to sit by the window, to watch the wind blow through the trees. Below he watched as several cars pulled up…Alphas arriving to a luncheon to celebrate the launch of the Hunt. The Omegas would be meeting them afterwords, meeting with each Alpha one on one. The handlers explained this was an introduction so that the Alphas could get an idea of who they’d want to hunt down and claim. It also gave the Omega an opportunity to seduce a prospect if they found a worthy suitor.

None of the people he saw seemed to interesting to him, but he didn’t know them, so he couldn’t really judge them. Still he lacked conviction that everything might go in his favor. Instead, he finally let his mind wander, trying to figure out a plan to make it past the time limit. He wasn’t done fighting, not by a long shot.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Victor looked bored out the car window as they pulled up to a large mansion. Chris chatted away by his side, trying to engage Victor…to get him excited about this. Victor still had his reservations about participating, but he’d made the decision to come. He knew if no one caught his eye, he’d be content taking a walk in the woods and letting an Omega walk away free.

Still, he wanted to make an effort. If there was a chance…any chance for him to find a mate, to find love, he needed to at least give this a chance. It might be his last one he got to find a mate.

He felt nervous for the first time in a long time. So much so that Chris helped him pick out his outfit and get ready for today. Gifts for the Omega he chose were tucked in his bag. They’d be staying for a week, meeting the Omegas for the first time that afternoon and spending several days after claiming them, strengthening their bond before the Alphas took them to their new homes.

Victor remained a little hopeful, but he still remained conflicted. He wondered if that would change once he met the Omegas. He hoped once he saw them, it would set his mind at ease. Making a decision one way or another might be the only way to ease his mind about all this.

When they pulled up to the house, they stepped out of the car, gathering their bags and carrying them up the stairs to the front door. There they were greeted by the staff assisting with the hunt. No doubt the benefactors that run the Hunt every year, waited to greet them later. They came for the entertainment factor behind the Hunt and Victor didn’t like that about it, but he didn’t come to stir up trouble despite his reputation for doing so.

They were shown to their rooms to get settled with a time table for their lunch to begin. He and Chris were the last of the Alphas to arrive and they’d be gathered first, greeted by the organizers, and eating lunch before finally meeting with the Omegas.

Their rooms sat adjacent to each other and they took about an hour to get settled, making arrangements to go down together. Chris promised to stay with Victor as much as possible since he was the reason Victor was there to begin with.

They settled in before being called down to some sort of event room. The atmosphere seemed relaxed, lunch set up in a buffet style of sorts with the Alpha’s milling around. Victor surprisingly recognized all the other Alphas in the room even though he’d never spoken with them personally.

He didn’t feel like socializing, surveying the room. Two of his rink mates signed up to participate. Milla smiled offering a wave. Georgi seemed surprised to see him there, but nodded in greeting. The other people there seemed keep to themselves or talking to the sponsors. Chris smirked as he grabbed a couple of drinks, handing one to Victor.

“See, this isn’t so bad. We get to relax and get to meet the Omega’s soon.” Chris took a sip of his champagne.

“You know this isn’t what’s bothering me.” Victor responded, sipping at his own drink. “But since I’m here, explain to me again how this is supposed to go.”

Chris gave him a curious look. “I explained it earlier. You didn’t hear me?”

“I forgot.” Victor managed a sheepish smile.”You know how forgetful I can be.”

Chris sighed. “This is important and I’m not going to explain it again, so listen up.”

Chris went into details about the important of their meeting with each Omega. It would be the first time to interact and ask them questions. To give everyone a fair chance, all eight Alphas would get a few minutes with each Omega introducing themselves and getting a brief feel on whether or not the Omega would be a good mate for them.

Victor didn’t like the setup. Sure other Alpha’s made their decision solely on physical attraction, but Victor wanted more. A handful of minutes before he’d have to put in a bid for the Omega he wanted… it hardly seemed like enough time to make a life altering decision.

“Victor, are you listening?” Chris asked. “Did you understand all that.”

“Yeah, I understood. After we meet with the candidates we write down up to three picks for who we want to chase and turn it in. In the morning we can pay for advantages to better hunt down or capture the Omegas we picked. Whoever secures the Omega first gets to mate with them.”

“Well, I didn’t say any of that, but it seems as though you remember a little bit from last time I told you all of this.”

Victor shrugged. “I’m not completely ignorant of what the hunt is like. I know the rules have changed slightly, but not much.”

“True, the layout of events really hasn’t changed much over the years.” Chris agreed. “Still, I’m not looking forward to heading into the forest in the cold to chase down my future mate.”

This time Victor smirked. “I supposed we have to put in some work in this. It’s why I brought something warm and comfortable to run in.”

“You’re still having doubts, but came prepared.” Chris chuckled warmly, before putting a reassuring hand on Victor’s shoulder. “You should relax. Let’s mingle a bit with the others. At the very least, you should withhold your judgment until you meet with the Omegas. Trust me, I have a good feeling about today.”

Victor knew Chris had a point though he didn’t feel much like socializing with anyone else. Instead, he stood off to the side avoiding most of the conversation, eventually eating something before the Alphas were each led to a room where they could meet their potential mates.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

A few hours later, Victor felt a little frustrated, questioning Chris’ good gut feeling and wanting to give his best friend a lecture to stay out of his affairs. He’d met seven of the eight Omegas on the roster and wasn’t any closer to choosing a mate. The fact that he had no potential candidates screamed at him for his failure in this event.

The first had been an excitable Thai Omega, Phichit, who charmed and flirted with him. He made it clear to Victor what he wanted, and seemed nice enough, but Victor didn’t feel the spark he was looking for. Still, the Omega had given him hope that he might find someone, but that hope was dashed as soon as the next Omega came in.

Yuri Plisetski was an angry teenager. Though he was of age, Victor thought he still seemed to young to participate. A younger Alpha who understood him and tame his anger and turn it into passion would be better. That and the mental image that came with the threat of chopping off his cock and feeding it to his cat would turn off most sensible Alphas.

After that, Victor got a timid Chinese Omega. Guang Hong Ji was sweet, maybe a bit too much so. He flushed and blustered and apologized a lot. Not exactly the partner Victor was looking forward though Victor hoped he got a sensible Alpha who’d boost that confidence.

After that came a pair of Italian twin Omegas. He met Sara Crispino first. She’d been funny and engaging, but made it clear her preference would be to be in a relationship with a female Alpha. Victor felt like she and Milla would get along well and he may even pass on the suggestion. Her brother Michele didn’t take too well to his sister being a part of the hunt and made it clear that all the Alpha’s need to keep their paws off his precious sister. Victor immediately crossed the sister obsessed man off his list as a potential match.

He already knew Anya, a former ice dancer who dated Georgi a while back. Seeing her here surprised him, but he knew Georgi would be thrilled and heartbroken after meeting her. She came off cold, insisting she’d never let herself get mated, making it clear that included her ex-boyfriend. Out of all the Omegas, she was the only one to get up and leave before the time finished.

Now he watched Isabella Yang leave the room. He recognized her as the fiance of one of his competitors. It made sense now why he’d seen JJ there. Isabella refused to go into details as to how she came a part of the hunt, only that she wanted to be with her fiance and no one else. Victor respected that and they chatted pleasantly until the time limit came up. Victor wished her luck and decided to stand up and stretch, heading over to a window to look out and hide his sulking face for a bit.

He didn’t hold any hopes for the final Omega. Silently Victor regretted agreeing to something like this. He knew he should have listened to the rational part of his brain. It looked like tomorrow he’d be running out into the forest and exploring before come back empty handed. Twelve hours would be a long time to figure out how to bide his time.

A soft knock on the door signaled the arrival of the last Omega. Victor couldn’t bring himself to turn around at first though he listened as the Omega opened the door, the soft footprints of him entering the room and the sound of the door shutting behind him. Victor put his pleasant mask back on turning around, stopping when he caught a glimpse of the Omega standing there.

He noticed the color of his eyes first, the color of freshly ground cinnamon. He appeared to be Asian with a light tan to his skin, dark hair slicked back so that Victor could see his beautiful face. His clothes fitted him well, the dark blue shirt embellished with gems. It went well with his well fitted black slacks. Victor felt his cheeks flush and he hoped that it didn’t show on his face.

Swallowing hard, he managed a genuine smile before gesturing to the chairs. The Omega glanced at him, eyes steeling with determination as he moved to sit down. The sight of that hidden passion sparked something in Victor. He didn’t know what it was yet, but he wanted to find out.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Victor…Victor Nikiforov.”

“Yuuri Katsuki.” The Omega responded simply and Victor relished the sound of his voice curling over the name. Victor could see those eyes assessing him. He wondered what the Omega thought of him, what kind of impression he made with that simple exchange. Yuuri made no attempt to further the conversation and Victor could feel a little bit of a stale, heavy air fill the room making the silence awkward.

“I’d like to know a little bit about you Yuuri.” Victor started off watching Yuuri shift slightly in his seat. It took a moment for Victor to realize that he looked uncomfortable.

“What would you like to know?” Yuuri asked, his English well spoken with a hint of an accent. Victor was impressed.

“Anything you feel like telling me. If we’re possibly going to be mates after tomorrow, we should try to get to know each other. Surely you have questions too.”

Yuuri’s eyes widened a fraction before he closed them, shaking his head. “Not really. We weren’t told to prepare anything to ask.”

Victor frowned. Of course the organizers didn’t say anything to them about preparing to meet their suitors. How quickly Victor forgot how traditional and conservative this event was.

“If you think of anything, feel free to ask. You won’t offend me at all.”

This time Yuuri frowned. For a moment, Victor caught the flash of vulnerability on his face. “Then it wouldn’t offend you if I told you I don’t plan on being caught tomorrow…that I don’t have any interest in being here or taking part of the Hunt.”

“No.” Victor responded. “It really wouldn’t. I know very well how the Hunt is conducted and how unfair it is for Omegas. I’m not a fan of it myself.”

“Then why are you here? Why are you participating in the hunt?”

Victor smirked. The question was a valid one. “One of my friends sent in an application on my behalf. He’s listen to me complain about being alone for so long, he thought he was doing me a favor.”

“So you came because your friend pushed you into it?” Yuuri’s eyes narrowed, not happy with the response he got.

This time Victor shook his head and he found he wanted to give Yuuri an honest answer. Something pulled him and the words spilled out as if he was under some sort of compulsion to speak. “If I’m being honest, I came because I’ve been alone for a long time. I’ve given up everything for the sake of my career, but I want more. I want to fall in love and I want a reason to live for. Eventually, I want to have a family and a partner to help raise our children.”

Victor saw a flash of anger in those eyes as he finished. “And you think you can come here and participate in this and then live some fairy tale where the Omega falls for you and you live happily ever after?”

“I’m not so naive to think it’ll be easy. I know it’ll take effort on both sides. If I wasn’t, I’d settled a long time ago. What I do know is that I’m willing to make the effort and I was hoping to find an Omega here willing to take a chance on me.” Victor took a deep breath, standing up to cross the short distance to the Omega. Yuuri watched him with wary eyes as he reached out and gently tilted his face up to look him in the eye. “The question I should ask, Yuuri Katsuki, is if your an Omega who’s willing to take a risk on me?”

Yuuri lost his mask. He still had a vulnerable look, but his eyes gave away just how nervous and scared he was. Victor held him for a moment longer before backing off.

“I don’t need an answer tonight and our time together is almost up, but I will admit I want to know more about you…and if you decide to take that risk, I’m sure you’ll figure out a way to tell me before the Hunt starts. I’ll be looking for you, Yuuri.”

He drew out Yuuri’s name watching as the Asian man face flushed red and he seemed a lot more flustered than before. In a flash, the Omega bolted out of his seat and took off for the door, slamming it shut behind him. Victor turned back to the window, his mind going back to the short encounter. The reflection that looked back at him differed from the one that he’d seen before Yuuri walked through those doors.

He walked back over to where his request form sat on the table. Carefully, he wrote down his choice on all three lines, mind going to establish some sort of strategy for tomorrow. Now that he found someone worth chasing, he needed a plan to catch them. He folded his response and left it in the room as he been instructed before then, leaving to head back to his room. Pulling out his phone, he shot out a text, feeling giddy as he hit send.

_Chris, I think I’ve found someone…I think I’m in love._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! Also you can follow me on Tumblr. I'm a bit of a quiet lurker, but I will answer if you ask me a question and I try to respond to comments. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Come follow me on tumblr [Here](http://midnightjournalist.tumblr.com/)  
> I post updates there and sometimes previews. Also please check out my other stories! Let me know what you think of them too!


	3. Lesson 3: It's Better To Be Prepared For Everything Than Not Be Prepared At All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri and Victor make their final decisions about the hunt. Let the games begin...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG...I had to rush to get this done. I didn't mean to procrastinate, but I got a little bit busy the last couple of days and I wasn't done yet. Did a quick proof read, but as it's after 10PM my time, I'm sure I missed something. I'll check it out again in the morning.
> 
> I managed to lay out all the ships in this chapter too. I know they may not be everyone's ideal ship, but I really like these, so they're the one I rolled with. Also, I left ages ambiguous for a reason, so I'll let you all decide that for yourself what age the younger crowd is. Whatever makes you comfortable. Hope you all enjoy!

Yuuri ran straight back to his room heading for the bathroom. He’d managed to keep calm and breathe as he talked to all the Alphas. All but the last one he spoke to…Victor…he had a hard time with. The Alpha was charming and gorgeous. Under different circumstances, Yuuri saw this possibly playing out differently, but not here, not like this.

He stripped off his outfit and set it aside before starting the shower. In his frustration, he struggled to get the contacts out of his eyes, tossing them before stepping under the warm spray. He scrubs the product out of his hair and the make up off his face…he wanted it gone….all gone. How could he think he could ever do this?

He didn’t know when his knees gave out or how long he stayed under the water. It still felt warm to him when Phichit found him, turning off the water and grabbing a towel to help him out of the shower.

“Yuuri, what happened?” Phichit asked, as he wrapped the towel around him and saw the look in his eyes. Yuuri shook his head, unsure of how to put what he felt into words.

“Come on Yuuri. Was it one of the Alphas?” Pichit tried again. “I met them all and they seemed nice. I don’t think you have to worry about a few of them. I got the impression they came for someone in particular.”

Yuuri shook his head again, taking a moment to take some deep breaths. Having Phichit around helped to ground him a bit and he took that time to sort his thoughts.

“I think…I’m scared. I didn’t think any of the Alphas were horrible. I just…the last one…”

“Which one was that?” Phichit helped him put on robes and found his glasses further grounding him as Phichit no longer looked blurry to him.

“He…he had long silver hair, blue eyes…I think his name was Victor.”

“Oh yeah, he was the first Alpha I met. He seemed nice…said he was a professional figure skater who lives between St. Petersburg and Moscow. Sounds fun, but I don’t think I’m his type.” Phichit rambled. “Wait…he didn’t do anything? He didn’t seem the type but…”

“No. Actually you just told me a lot more about him than he did.”

“Then what? If he didn’t do something bad…why does he scare you?”

“I don’t know. I just…I felt something between us. I don’t know what it was, but it sparked up and I’m worried he’ll be the one to chase after me tomorrow.”

“Would it really be so bad though? It sounds like he took an interest in you and that’s the point of being here. I know that you’re still having doubts, but maybe this is a good thing. Would it be so bad to mated to someone like that. Even if he has some old fashioned tendencies, I can’t say if they’re lying to get what they want, but he struck me as the honest type. He seems good for you.”

Yuuri’s cheeks flushed a little as he grabbed a pillow and pulled it against his chest. “He was…beautiful. And he told me he’s looking for a partner…someone he can fall in love with…someone to raise a family with.”

“Well, isn’t that what you want?” Phichit encouraged.

“But what if it’s like you said and he’s lying to get what he wants.”

Phichit shrugged. “Like I said, he didn’t seem the type. But it’s your decision Yuuri. Though, if he really wants you, I’d make him work for it tomorrow. I’ve got my eyes on that Swiss Alpha, not that I plan on going easy on him.”

“Oh, I know who you’re talking about.” Yuuri frowned. “He seemed…like a handful. Christophe…right?”

The two of them gossiped about the other Alpha’s they met and slowly Yuuri felt a lot better. It didn’t change anything, but he didn’t feel as bad anymore. The handlers delivered dinner reminding them of their curfew…earlier with the hunt the next morning. The entertainment factor would be useless if the Omegas went out there half dead from lack of sleep. Phichit stayed until fifteen minutes before curfew, giving Yuuri a hug and flashing him with a smile.

“Things will turn out okay tomorrow. Whatever happens will happen. You’re a good person Yuuri, you deserve to be happy. If you feel like it’s work the risk then maybe…just try to get some sleep. It’ll work out in the end.”

Phichit shrugged, not speaking the exact words knowing that’s all Yuuri would be thinking about for hours after the fact. He watched his friend go, waiting for the door to shut before he flopped back onto the bed, staring up at the canopy above the bed. He should really go to sleep, but now that he was alone, his mind went back to the conversation he had with Victor.

He agreed with Phichit that he didn’t seem the deceitful type, but Yuuri still didn’t know a thing about him. He wasted his chance to ask anything, to distracted by feeling a genuine curiosity for the silver haired Alpha. Not to mention his beauty. Long silver hair perfectly styled and blue eyes that seemed to pierce into Yuuri’s soul. For a moment, his inner Omega yearned for an Alpha like that, but rationally, he still fought that urge.

His mind bounced back on forth between Victor’s and Phichit’s questions. The answers mattered in the long run. Did he want to take a risk on the foreign Alpha? Could he find the will to try and make things work out between them? Was it even possible for them to fall in love?

He doubted that he’d just magically fall in love with Victor. Love like that happened in children’s stories and fairy tales and he’d rather think in realistic terms than come off naive. Yuuri didn’t like all this uncertainty, wanting clear cut answers from Victor, something he didn’t have the luxury asking now. Still, when Phichit posed his question…he had to think about the pros and cons of everything.

On the one hand, he’d be mated and have an Alpha to look after him. He’d get the family he wanted and the questions on whether or not he was a worth Omega would stop. He might even be comfortable for the rest of his life.

The down side to that, he could potentially lose all of his freedom. If he and Phichit were wrong about Victor…he shuttered at the horrors that could await him. He buried his face into a pillow rolling on his side groaning as his mind went to a darker place. He knew if he let it stay there, the likelihood of getting any sleep tonight slipped away. Instead he slapped both of his cheeks in an effort to snap out of his spiral and took a few calming breaths.

He rolled off the bed, padding over to look out the window. The sun had already set and the stars and the full moon gleamed overhead. Yuuri pressed his face against the cool glass, further grounding him back in reality before he saw the beauty of the grounds below him and the sky above.

In the silence and lingering sense of calm he felt in the moment, he made his decision. He’d still fight, trying to outlast the time limit. If Victor gave chase, something he felt almost certain of after their conversation earlier, he’d give the Alpha the run of his life. If somehow, the Alpha caught him…well he could at least try to make some concessions since they didn’t discuss anything like that. If Yuuri was lucky, he might get permission to visit his family at the very least.

He knew what getting caught meant for him. He knew he wouldn’t have any energy left in him to fight the inevitable. Yuuri knew that the rest of the time after the hunt, he’d spend locked away in his Alpha’s bedroom until his body was claimed and a bond secured. If he lost tomorrow, he’d have to accept it…accept he’d given his all and lost.

Silently, he pleaded in his head. While not really religious, he at least had to believe fate might be kind to him no matter the outcome of the day ahead. Finally at peace with his decision, he set off to finish getting ready for bed, turning off the lights and climbing in. He woke once when the handlers came to check on him…to make sure that he was in bed and resting, but the rest of his evening he spend in a dreamless sleep.

Morning came too early again, the handlers waking and getting him ready for the day. At least today wasn’t as intrusive as the day before, considering they’d be running in the woods for a few hours. They dressed him warmly, but not in anything that would constrict him. He could wear his good running shoes that he used for jogging. He had to forgo his glasses for contacts once more, deception to make him look better despite his poor eyesight. It seemed to be the best thing, especially since he didn’t want to risk losing his glasses somewhere in the forest.

They led Yuuri downstairs where the others gathered for a quick breakfast before each Omega was fitted with a device on their wrists to track their location and vitals in case of an emergency. The handlers assured them that the Alphas weren’t granted access to that information to make it both fair and entertaining. No one seemed too thrilled about that, not trusting the organizers to be honest at all.

Still they did as told, unable to say no about it. Besides, if it really was a safety measure, they didn’t want to risk the worst happening. They were given their instructions and told to wait there until they finished preparations.

Yuuri caught Phichit’s gaze from across the room. The Thai man gave him a reassuring smile and a thumbs up. Yuuri nodded and leaned against the wall. He really didn’t want to sit and wait around like this. Waiting meant thinking and thinking meant weakening his resolve after he made his decision. Thankfully they didn’t wait too long before they were summoned out onto the property outside. The Hunt was about to begin…

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Victor finished stretching out his limbs and doing some light stretching. He got as much rest as he could, dressing in some warm work out clothes that he usually wore fore skating practice. Feeling keyed up after all the excitement, he didn’t want to wait any longer.

Chris came to his room the night before after he sent his text message. The Swiss Alpha wanted all the details of the Omega that won Victor over. Victor gushed over the beautiful Omega despite not knowing a thing about him. He still had his doubts about the hunt as a whole, but after meeting Yuuri, he found that he wanted to see if the Omega might give him a chance. He asked Yuuri for a sign, something to let him know that Victor could pursue him.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Victor. What if he doesn’t give you a sign?” Chris asked.

“I still plan to chase him. I want to know his reasoning why he’s unwilling to take a chance with me. I’ll be disappointed if I walk away without him as my Omega, but I came here with the knowledge I might walk away without a partner. Still, I’d like to talk to him, try one more time to persuade him to give me a chance.”

“You’re a bit of a romantic fool, Victor, but as you’re friend, I’ll support you.” Chris had told him before giving Victor a little more info on his elusive Omega.

Victor felt grateful for that information. At least now he knew something about Yuuri and it gave Victor some ideas to what he could offer Yuuri should the Omega accept him. He wanted to make sure that Yuuri would be comfortable with him in St. Petersburg.

Victor knew he acted different than most Alphas, that his ideals came off romantic and went against everything society said an Alpha should be. He didn’t care, but he also knew that no Omega would believe him. Good thing he knew how to surprise people.

He got up, checking one more time to make sure he looked presentable in the mirror. He might be a wreck by the time all this finished, but if they got a glimpse of the Omega’s before they got started, he wanted to look good. He pulled his hair back with a hair tie and adjusted his gloves making sure they were secure on his hands.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped out into the hallway just as Chris left his own room. The Swiss man struck up a cocky grin as he approached,

“So, are you ready for today?” He teased, knowing despite their bravado, both of them felt like a bundle of jittery nerves.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Victor managed a smile, but it still felt a little forced and tight on his face.

“Don’t look like that, mon amie. Things will turn out just fine. Let’s go eat something to get our strength and try to relax. It’s going to be a long day and we need all the advantages we can get.”

Victor nodded and Chris chatted away while they made their way down to the dining room. The moment they stepped in Milla waved them over to where her and Georgi sat. Victor avoided them the day before, but felt it would be better to just go over and sit with them. At the very least, their conversation would distract him from thinking about his lingering issues.

“Victor,” Milla called as they approached the table, waiting for them to get closer to continue. “Chris told me that you’ve found someone. Any clues about the lucky Omega that caught your eye?

“It’s romantic that you’ve managed to find someone.” Georgi pipped up. “I hope that you’ll both be happy together…just like my sweet Anya and I.”

The man looked like he was about to cry and VIctor already knew that things with Anya wouldn’t go as smoothly as Georgi wished them to be. Still, he refused to be the one to burst that fragile bubble. Better to let Georgi figure it out for himself. Instead, he turned back to Milla to answer her.

“I would tell you about him, but you’re notorious for gossiping I guess you’re just going to have to wait and see if I catch him.” Victor teased, though Milla just brushed it off.

“Well, at least I know it’s one of the boys. Means I shouldn’t have any competition for my lady.” She replied. “Still, I hope you don’t have any competition for your man, though I heard a rumor that the organizers were surprised to see no one picked the same Omega as their number one pick. One complained about it not being as entertaining this year because of it.”

Victor breathed out a little in relief. He didn’t realize that he’d been worried about something like that, despite it being a strong possibility with how many Alphas participating this year.

“That is a good thing.” Chris pipped up, nudging Victor to pay attention. “So since you seem to know the ins and outs, do you mind sharing what you’ve learned so far?”

Milla looked a little devious as she continues. “Well, it should be obvious where Georgi stands and I’m looking at one of the Italian twins. Her brother’s a little overprotective, but I hear Emil Nekola took a liking to him so he’ll be far enough away he shouldn’t be causing too much trouble.”

“You’re a brave one.” Chris commented. They paused after that because their food got served. It didn’t seem like a good idea to be caught gossiping about all of this anyway. Milla waited for the servers to return to the kitchen before continuing the conversation, taking bites of food between talking.

“JJ isn’t too complicated to figure out. He’s here to get his fiance back. Apparently after he choked last season, Isabella’s family didn’t think he was a suitable Alpha to take care of their daughter. They found away to keep in touch when her family forbade it. I guess they figured if they went through the hunt, Isabella’s family would get the money and they couldn’t say anything about JJ competing and claiming her once everything was over. I doubt anyone here will challenge him for her knowing how much they mean to each other.”

“Ah, I wondered about that. It seemed odd to see them both here, but that makes sense.” Victor commented, taking another bite of his food.

“Indeed.” Georgi added. “It’s such a tragedy that they are destined to be lovers and to be torn apart.”

Chris chuckled at Georgi antics while Milla looked smug at all the information she’d managed to gather. Victor invested himself into the conversation, eager to find out more…to see if he really had any competition for Yuuri.

“Speaking of arranged agreements, I’ve heard the rumors that Leo de la Iglesia and Guang Hong Ji are really good friends. It’s only speculation, but when Leo heard his friend’s family put him up for the hunt, Leo put in his application to protect his friend. I’m not completely sure if their romantic feelings are mutual, but I got a chance to talk to Leo and he blushed so hard it looked cute when I asked.”

Georgi called Milla out for being cruel, but she just laughed it off. Milla rarely felt guilty for the things she did. Her teasing was mostly harmless anyway.

“Okay, so that’s everyone, but Otabek Altin.” Chris commented about the last Alpha in the hunt. “I don’t know much about him with the exception that he’s a skater and a rather popular DJ.”

Milla pipped up again with interest. “Well, I heard the rumors that his father contributed a large amount to the hunt this year and encouraged his son to apply. It’s only rumors, but from what I hear Otabek has a fascination with Yuri Plisetsky. Apparently, they trained together before they presented and caught Otabek’s attention then…though how he might have knew about Yuri’s participation remains a mystery.”

Victor shook his head at the evil little glint Milla got in her eye at the thought of a conspiracy. She glanced back and forth between Victor and Chris, face shifting to one of curiosity.

“If all the pairings come to that, then I have to ask which one of you are after Phichit Chulanont and which one is after Yuuri Katsuki.”

Chris smirked again. “If things go well, I should be having Thai with my dinner.”

Georgi choked a bit on the coffee he attempted to swallow at the same time that Chris spoke. Victor kept his own amused grin behind his coffee mug. Trust Chris to not be subtle at all when he wanted something. At least he could be confident in his choice where as, Victor still didn’t have the sign he needed. Granted, they still hadn’t seen the Omegas yet and Victor hoped he’d at least get some glimpse from Yuuri at this point.

Thankfully, Milla didn’t get a chance to ask Victor about Yuuri as they Alphas were all called to gather together to head outside. They abandoned their empty plates and mugs, going out to a sprawling field that lead to a large forest on the property. The vast property seemed to suit the Hunt just fine.

The Alpha’s hung back a little bit knowing it’d still be a little bit of time before they’d begin. The Omegas got a thirty minute head start and once they got going, the Alphas got a chance to pay extra for something to give them an advantage against their chosen Omega. Victor contemplated it, but he felt a little too preoccupied keeping an eye out for Yuuri.

He only waited for a few more moments when he caught a glimpse of eight individuals walking towards the field. Anya and Isabella walked in the front. Isabella waved at JJ who waved back at her with a grin on her face. Anya scoffed when Georgi called out to her causing him to start to cry at her refusal to look at him.

Behind them were the Italian twins. Michelle clung to his sister looking miserable as she seemed to rebuff him. It seemed like she was making a stand against the overprotective twin, pausing in their walk to push her brother away.

After that, the blond haired Yuuri stomped towards them looking pissed off as he walked to the open field. He paused to yell at Guang Hong who nervously bumped into him. Guang Hong looked scared, but it looked like Phichit came to the rescue, defusing the tension and putting both hands on Guang Hong’s shoulder. Yuri scoffed stomping away from them while Phichit reassured the younger Omega.

Bringing up the rear, lagging a bit behind the rest walked his Yuuri. The Omega kept his head down, still looking unsure about his decision.

Victor felt his breath catch. On the one hand, Yuuri looked better than he did the day before unless he was imagining things. On the other, Victor didn’t like his chances from the way Yuuri looked. Maybe he’d been a bit of a fool for daring to hope things would go his way today.

Still, he couldn’t bring himself to tear his eyes away from Yuuri with every step he took. He watched as the final instructions were given and the Omegas understood what they were supposed to do. Yuuri didn’t glance his way once that entire time, paying attention to the organizers. Victor’s heart sank as the Omegas lined up, waiting for the announcement for them to go.

They encouraged the Omegas to take a final moment to encourage the Alphas…to flirt, wave, tease, taunt, or call out. Victor could hear a few of them do that, but he paid them no mind, his gaze remaining on Yuuri. He couldn’t look away…

….And then it happened. Yuuri finally looked up…looked directly at Victor. His brown eyes seemed to waver for a moment before steeling over with a determination that took Victor’s breath away. Yuuri nodded once…an acknowledgment towards Victor…the sign he’d been waiting for.

Victor remembered to breathe when the organizers called the Omegas to attention, breaking the spell of Yuuri’s gaze. Victor wanted to cry tears of joy at getting his sign. Yuuri was willing to take a chance with him, though he doubted the Omega would make it easy for him. Taking a moment to get a grip on his resolve, he watched on as the Omegas prepared to run.

A whistle sounded and the eight of them were off…this years Hunt had officially begun...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time we'll get to what you've all be waiting for...the Hunt. It might take me a little bit longer to write the next chapter as I want to make sure everything goes smoothly as I finish planning how it plays out. I'm still aiming for Sunday, but just in case, check out my Tumblr for updates!
> 
> Let me know what you think! Also you can follow me on Tumblr. I'm a bit of a quiet lurker, but I will answer if you ask me a question and I try to respond to comments. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Come follow me on tumblr [Here](http://midnightjournalist.tumblr.com/)  
> I post updates there and sometimes previews. Also please check out my other stories! Let me know what you think of them too!


	4. Lesson 4: Nothing In This World Is Ever Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hunt commences and Victor finds that Yuuri isn't going to make it easy for him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took me two weeks to get this out. It's been a rough couple of weeks for me and for all my planning, details of what I wanted escaped me. Also I didn't really respond to any of the comments last time and I'm sorry for that. It's just been crazy
> 
> This didn't turn out quite the way I though it would, but I didn't want to drag it out. I did take a liberty and not do snow though I expect it would still be on the ground this time of year in Russia. I apologize if that bothers anyone, but it was a complication I didn't want to deal with. Also did a quick read through, but I'm sure I missed something. As usual, I'll do a more thorough edit later. Hopefully this was worth the wait! Comment and let me know what you think!

Yuuri didn’t know how far he’d run or how fast he traveled. He knew he had to take the time to catch his breath. His lungs burned trying to drag in the cooler air and his legs burned and ached. He slowed to a walk knowing he needed to keep moving as he glanced down at the timer on the tracker on his wrist. In a matter of minutes the Alphas would join the Omegas in the forest and the game would start in earnest.

He needed to come up with a plan now as he slowed down, taking a moment to take stock of the woods surrounding him. It looked so thick that he’d never see an Alpha coming. He needed to rely on his other senses and the instincts of his inner Omega if he planned on getting through this unscathed. He felt a little bit of panic rise up at the thought of being caught, but he pushed it back down to try to make sure it didn’t happen. The last thing he wanted right now was to have a panic attack like he experienced the night before.

His shoes crunched on the frost covered landscape and Yuuri felt grateful for the lack of snow. Snow meant footprints and a trail. He’d broken off the main path a little ways into the forest knowing staying on would only make it that much easier to be found. His initial plan…to run as far as he could in those initial thirty minutes…only bought him time. His mind glanced around for something he could use in his plan.

At the chiming on his wrist, signaling the Alphas start, his heart pounded in his chest. He felt hyper aware as it beat against his ribs and pulsed against his skin. Steeling his resolve, he took off in a light jog, trying to continue to put distance between him as his mind raced for ideas.

Wishing he knew the layout of the land, his mind shuffled through ideas. He could always try to climb a tree and wait them out…but he disregarded that as the easiest way to get caught. His scent would give him away and all the Alphas looked fit enough to climb up after him. Next he thought of looking for a water source to hide his scent, but he didn’t know if one existed and if it did, how cold that water could be. He pushed his mind to think…to come up with some better options than to just keep running. He’d wear himself out eventually and then become easy pray for Victor or any other Alpha that might come for him.

As he traveled deeper into the woods, the terrain changed a bit. Slopes, rocks and tree roots slowed him down as he tried to climb and come back down again. All it did was wear him down more and more. He felt hyper aware of his surroundings and he listened out for any sounds that might be someone approaching him from behind or the sides. Knowing the Alphas could find him any time, put him deeper on edge.

A snap sounded and Yuuri took off running, not looking where he was heading…only to see Phichit stepped in front of him. His heart stuttered and he almost fell back in his effort to stop.

“Sorry, but I couldn’t help it. I had to find you.” Phichit laughed. “You should have seen your face.”

“It’s not funny, Phichit. I thought you were an Alpha.”

Phichit continued to laugh. “It’s too soon for them to catch up to us. We still have a head start and besides…I figured we could team up. Can’t make it too easy for the Alphas even if I want Chris to catch me. I know you want to get away…but I think if we teamed up, we can help each other get what we want and have a fun time doing it. What do you say?”

Yuuri thought about it for a few moments as he caught his breath. Phichit had startled him and he felt a little upset over that. At the same time, he knew that to catch up to him with his stamina, Phichit had to push himself hard to keep up or he tracked him down and caught up with him after they split up in the forest. Exhaling in defeat, he knew he wouldn’t stay mad at the other Omega long.

“I’m assuming you have a plan.” Yuuri insisted wanting something for his trouble.

“You know I do.” Phichit grinned looking a little devious as he did so. He held up a rope net that Yuuri hadn’t noticed in his hands and he could only stand in awe at what he was looking at. “I found this while I was running. Figured it’s a trap to help the Alphas catch one of us. I also found a pit trap in a clearing a little bit from here. Maybe we should try doing some Alpha hunting of our own. I think we might be able to catch Victor if we give it a good try.”

A small smile crossed Yuuri’s face. He still felt worried about being caught, but Phichit managed to give them a fighting chance. He still doubted if he could get away completely, but now maybe…

“I’m in.” Yuuri responded walking over to help Phichit gather up the net. Finally, Yuuri had a plan and an ally willing to help him get out of this unscathed. Together, they might both get what they want.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Victor didn’t know what direction he should run towards. He didn’t think Yuuri would make this easy, but he knew he should have thought this out better…come up with some way to capture Yuuri instead of a mostly blind run through the forest. Once he’d seen the start of the Hunt, he debated buying anything to help. Settling on a cloth of Yuuri’s scent…the only way he could track him. The Alphas were told that they’d be given extra help along the way though Victor didn’t want to think about what that would mean. They’d been suited up with their own tracking devices for safety…while they didn’t have full tracking abilities, the organizers programed them to alert the Alphas when they got close to their designated target. It looked like the Omegas didn’t have that feature, nor would they be given anything to fight back as it went against the point of the hunt.

He knew he didn’t want to have any unfair advantages. As much as Victor wanted Yuuri, he wanted to catch him fairly. He accepted the tracker and bought a cloth…one was a condition of the hunt for overall safety and the other an indulgence. He never got a chance to smell Yuuri’s scent the night before and when the floral scent of lavender and cherry blossoms hit his nose, he wanted to drown in it. He almost missed the Alpha’s start because his head swam with the scent. He wound up scrambling to zip up the bag to keep the delicious scent inside and shoving it into his jacket as he scrambled to take off after the other Alphas.

Now running through these woods, he felt lost and in need of direction. No scent or sign of a visible trail lingered to lead him on. The six hour time limit didn’t seem like enough time when surrounded by the same kind of scenery. Victor wasn’t a trained tracker, nor a skilled climber, but he knew how stubborn and tenacious he could be. So far it served him well.

He kept searching, jogging at his own pace for a little while until he managed to find a small clearing. Glancing around, he didn’t see anything unusual, but his tracker chimed at that moment and Victor glanced down to see the screen lit up with a distance. His breath caught…Yuuri was nearby.

He started into the clearing, rushing a bit in his haste to catch up with his target that he jolted when his body flung up, caught in a large net. He cringed at the awkward angle he found himself in, scrambling to right himself, struggling as his hands and feet slid through the holes in the net and he had to keep pulling himself up and out before he finally got an idea of his predicament. Worse he caught a glimpse of Yuuri and Phichit coming out behind separate trees and that left him with more questions than answers.

“Yuuri?” He called out to the Omega confused. He wanted the man to talk to him, but more so he wanted Yuuri to look at him. Right now the Omega looked down at the ground and Phichit grinned, shaking with what Victor assumed was excitement.

“I can’t believe it worked. We actually caught one of the Alphas.” Phichit sounded a little in awe and excited. “Hey Yuuri, we caught Victor.”

For his credit, Yuuri flushed, but he still refused to look up at Victor as he spoke, his tone a little cold and unhappy. “We should go now. Someone else might have heard us and we don’t want to get caught.”

“Right.” Phichit said, his voice sounding a bit off. He looked at Yuuri with a bit of concern. He took a moment before looking back up at Victor. “Well, sorry to catch you and split, but Yuuri and I aren’t a fan of the organizers setting up traps to catch us. Have fun hanging around for a little while. Maybe someone will come by and let you down. Later!”

Phichit moved towards Yuuri and directed him back into the woods and away from Victor. For once Victor felt too stunned to know what to say. He swung with the breeze helpless to stop the Omegas from running away. Instead, he found himself laughing at the absurdity of everything…

…and that’s how Chris found him a little bit later.

His friend stared up at him in concern, cautiously stepping into the clearing. Victor didn’t blame him, especially since he walked into a trap. Feeling a little foolish, he managed to wave at the Swiss Alpha before putting a hand over his face trying to stifle his laughter.

“Victor, why are you in a net? In a tree?”

“Funny story. My Yuuri and your Phichit might have set this up.”

Chris looked a bit curious now. “I knew they set up traps in the woods to help us and you should have remembered that too…though I doubt you paid attention when the organizers explained everything. This clearing certainly looks like an obvious place for one. That still doesn’t explain how you got caught and why you think the Omegas set this up?”

“They may have been hiding behind the trees. Even if they didn’t set it up, they did manage to lure me in here. It’s my fault that I didn’t see the net though apparently they did. I just got so excited when my tracker alerted me that Yuuri was nearby that I didn’t look for traps.”

Chris sighed, moving over to where the rope pulled taunt and untied it, lowering Victor to the ground. The net fell away as Victor opened up the top once it went slack and crawled out of the ropes. Chris held out a hand to help him to his feet.

“Thanks.” Victor smirked as he stared off into the direction the Omegas took off in. “I’m used to being the one surprising people. It’s rare that I find myself surprised.”

“Victor, if you don’t catch your Omega…surprised is the last emotion you’ll feel. The fact that a pair of Omegas got the better of you…it’ll be disappointing if you can’t catch him.”

Victor hummed in agreement, tapping a finger against his lips in thought. “Well since they decided to team up and we’re chasing them, maybe we should do the same. It’ll increase our odds at catching them and it only seems fair.”

“I’m willing to do that, but will you be satisfied with catching Yuuri if I help you.”

“Well I know I can’t take on two at the same time. I feel like it’s only fair to do it this way. Besides, I can’t let that little stunt go. I have to redeem myself somehow.”

“All right, I don’t suppose you have a plan on how you’re going to catch them.”

“I have a few ideas…we have to catch up to them first. Phichit made it clear that they planned on making it difficult for us. I think it might be best to try and catch them off guard.”

The two of them took a little bit of time to talk over and come up with a concrete plan. Once they had solidified on a plan, they agreed to remain open to being flexible should the Omegas make it difficult for them. Now they just needed to catch up to them.

“Right, I think they went this way…” Victor started to turn towards the direction he thought he saw them go. He didn’t see the second trap just like he didn’t see the first, but from a sound of surprise that left Chris made, he saw it too late to save Victor as he fell, sliding down the wall and tumbling into a pit trap.

Victor groaned hitting the bottom of the trap hard. It wasn’t a long fall, but as he risked glancing around despite the pain. It looked just deep enough he wouldn’t be able to get out without help, but not so deep that Chris couldn’t help him out of it.

“Are you all right, Victor?” Chris called and Victor looked up to see his friend on his knees at the edge of the pit. Victor fought through the pain of his landing, trying to stand up, wincing when a sharp, bone deep pain coursed through one of his legs. He reached down to touch his right ankle, wincing as his muscles felt tender to the touch, so he pulled his hand away to brace against the wall and not let his hand

“I think I sprained an ankle, but other than that, I’m okay.” Victor called back up, wanting to get back up before confirming his suspicions. He knew running just became much more difficult, but after a fall like that, he felt his completive spirit rise that much stronger. By a small miracle it’d have some time to heal before practice started in earnest for next season. “Help me up and we can take a look at it.”

Chris reached down to help as Victor used his good leg and free hand to climb out of there. Before he could catch his breath, the Swiss Alpha already had the shoe and sock off the bad foot and pushed up the leg of the pants he wore. The ankle looked an angry red and looked like it already started to swell.

“This isn’t good Victor. I’m not a medic, but I think you’re right and it’s sprained. You shouldn’t put any pressure on it at all. It might be good to withdraw and get some medical attention.”

“I’m not going to give up on this Chris. I’ve come this far and they’ve gotten the best of me twice. Now I have to catch Yuuri. I think my poor pride will be hurt otherwise.” Victor lamented. “Is there any way you can patch it up enough for me to keep going for a little while longer. I’ve got an idea on how to tweak the plan so that we still catch the Omegas and I don’t have to put too much strain on this.”

“I can make a temporary splint with sticks and a cloth. But I would need the latter to make it work.”

Victor pulled the bag with the cloth with Yuuri’s scent on it out of his jacket. “Use this.”

“Are you sure? You bought that so you had something with your Omega’s scent on it.” Chris pointed out.

“I did, but if I win today. I’ll have the real thing to scent all the time.”

Chris let out a laugh. “You’re crazy, but I suspect you know that already. I don’t think we’d be friends if we were any other way. All right, tell me what you think we should do while I patch you up. We better win this though or I will find a way to make your life miserable.”

This time Victor laughed. “I’ll make sure we don’t fail then.”

The change seemed simple, but risky. It’d all come down to timing and whether or not Victor could move quickly. Still if Victor thought he could do it, Chris trusted him at least that much.

“All right, so we’ll split up. You head for the river and I’ll drive the Omega’s towards you. I think I can catch Phichit, but Yuuri…”

“Let me worry about catching Yuuri. If I somehow fail, I don’t deserve him. Then again, they caught me twice. I find I’m extra motivated after that.”

“Well, good luck then. I do hope you can catch him, Victor. Even if you’re both still having doubts in all this, you both deserve to be happy.”

Victor nodded, wincing as Chris checked to make sure his make shift brace was secure. Satisfied, Victor’s sock and shoe went back on the best they could and Chris helped Victor to his feet. Victor still felt the pain in his leg, but it felt manageable.

“All right, let’s get going. We only get one shot at this…need to make it count and give ourselves some time in case things don’t go our way. Hopefully you can be patient for once and wait for me to bring them to you.” Chris continued.

“Don’t you worry, I’ve got this. If it’s what I need to do to get things done, then I’ll wait. It’s not like I can run with you being hurt and I’m not risking my competitive season to make it worse.”

Chris laughed again. “It’d be a shame to knock you off the top spot on the podium for once. I’m still coming for it, but I don’t want an easy win.”

“You got it.”

Chris took off with a half hearted salute and Victor waited for his friend to disappear. He silently wished his friend luck and hobbled off in the direction he needed to go. This had to work…he just had to believe that it would. For now, he’d just have to get into position and wait for Yuuri to walk into his sight. Grinning at the thought of Yuuri in his arms, he knew he’d do anything to make it work.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“I can’t run anymore!” Phichit declared, before starting to walk. He needed to keep moving, but he needed a break. “Chris is persistent, isn’t he?”

“We need to keep moving or he’ll catch up to us.” Yuuri chided, looking worried. They’d caught Victor hours ago, something he should have been happy about, but felt everything but. He’d caught a look on Victor’s face when they first caught him and he couldn’t bring himself to look at Victor anymore. The look Victor gave him, the sound of him calling his name…he may not want to be mated, but Victor didn’t deserve that.

Still he hadn’t been able to dwell on that. Chris had caught up with them more than once, seeming determined to catch them. Thankfully they out maneuvered him each time. Yuuri sensed something off about Chris’ tactics, but the Alpha didn’t give them time to stop and discuss it or really think about it.

“Then I think it’s about time for us to part way.” Phichit said, breaking through Yuuri’s thoughts.

“What? But…I…I mean we…” Yuuri tripped over his words and Phichit snickered a little bit.

“Yuuri, as much as I want to see the end with you, I actually do want to get caught and Chris is my best option right now. He’s chased us enough that I feel like he’s earned the chance to catch me. I know you still want out and if things went like they should, Victor should still be in that net. The organizers will come out and get him down if the Alphas were tracked like us. We’ve got a little bit of time left anyway…I think you can make it on your own from here.” Phichit walked over and wrapped Yuuri up in a hug. The Japanese Omega tensed a little, but relaxed. “You’ve got this without me…and I hope you find happiness and a mate worthy of you…”

Phichit tightened his grip when the snapping of a branch caused the both to look up to see Chris standing there looking a bit determined.

“Finally, I’ve caught up with the both of you. Are you finally ready to let me catch you?”

Phichit pushed Yuuri back lightly and turned to step in front of him. “Bring it on!”

Chris grinned at Phichit, but his eyes caught Yuuri. “As much as I’d like to tangle with you, my patience for your friend is wearing a bit thin. Especially finding my best friend trapped up in a net and then he fell into that pit trap. You’re both a bit sneaky, you know that.”

“If it were easy. It wouldn’t be worth it…or fun.” Phichit shot back. “If you think I’m going to let you get to Yuuri, you’re in for a surprise.”

Chris pulled out a bit of rope from his jacket. “Oh, I’m prepared for a fight. I could always catch you and keep chasing Yuuri. The odds might not be in my favor, but it doesn’t mean that I won’t give up until my timer goes off.”

“Yuuri run.” Phicht shouted, moving to run with him…to get away from Chris. Yuuri didn’t hesitate, too worried as they took off running towards the river.

Phichit and him had studied the river in case they needed a last minute hiding spot. There was a slope down the bank that he could possibly hide in for the remaining time if they could reach it. He knew Phichit would wait until the last possible second to let Chris catch him while Yuuri got away. He heard the Thai man’s cry and what sounded like bodies colliding and falling on top of the leaves on the ground.

He couldn’t bring himself to look back to make sure his friend was all right. Fear far overrode the guilt he felt as he broke through the trees to see the river. He took off in a sprint, careful about where he was running down the slope. He felt a little bit of triumph as his tracker beeped with a thirty second warning, so much so that he didn’t see the flash of silver before it was too late. Victor ran out directly in front of him, face steeled, blue eyes flashing a bit of determination.

Everything moved in slow motion for a mere moment. Victor raised his arms out in front of him as if inviting Yuuri for a hug. Yuuri’s mind flashed in panic at the thought that he couldn’t stop or change directions at this point. He just watched as he barreled into the silver haired Alpha’s body, propelling them in the direction or the river. He could hear the grunt Victor made from the force of Yuuri slamming into him before arms wrapped around him, trapping him. As they fell, Yuuri registered that the timer went off again signaling the end of the hunt. Yuuri registered was the smirk of triumph on his Alpha’s face before they fell all the way back, Victor keeping him close and baring the brunt of the fall.

The last thing Yuuri registered was the sound of water slashing, the rush of cold liquid on his body, and the feeling of complete utter defeat mixed with fear. He’d been caught fair and square.

Victor won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...how was it? I couldn't think of a good way to drag it out over multiple chapters, but I wanted to show them struggle a bit. I think it worked out well with how everything went. Hope no one was disappointed, but I decided it would be better to get to the meat of the story than drag it out. Next time I'll go more in depth with their reactions to all this and it might not be what you expect.
> 
> You can follow me on Tumblr. I'm a bit of a quiet lurker, but I will answer if you ask me a question and I try to respond to comments. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Come follow me on tumblr [Here](http://midnightjournalist.tumblr.com/)  
> I post updates there and sometimes previews. Also please check out my other stories! Let me know what you think of them too!


	5. Lesson 5: Sometimes You Just Have to Learn to Take a Leap of Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Yuuri has been caught, he must deal with the consequences of being caught. Meanwhile, Victor must deal with his injury and the sudden awkwardness between him and his new mate...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta da...I'm back! So very sorry for the delay on this chapter. I've had a hell month in April with my store closing down (the company I worked for mostly got sold and the rest went under) and between searching for a new job and I had most of the chapter written and then I lost it...well it killed my inspiration to write a little bit. 
> 
> I am back though and I'm going to try to stick to a schedule again. I'm going to go with a bi-weekly schedule for now so look for an update at least every other Sunday and look out for updates on my other stories. Hope this was worth the wait and enjoy! Leave me a comment or kudos if you haven't already!

Yuuri didn’t move, too shocked to try and comprehend what happened. He’d lost to Victor…ran practically into his arms. He wanted to be angry and he felt like he’d be a little upset later, but he refused to let it show right now. He didn’t want to look weak in front of his new Alpha or Phichit and Chris. Still he felt on the verge of a panic attack and he needed something to ground him to keep him calm.

“Yuuri are you all right?” Victor’s voice cut through Yuuri’s silent panic. He practically straddled the Alpha’s lap in waist deep water, arms wrapped around him, holding him close. He scrambled to try and get his weight off of him a bit, but Victor’s grip around him remained firm. “Easy. It’s okay, I’ve got you…though maybe we should get out of the river. We’re both soaked and neither of us need to catch a cold.”

“Victor, why are you in the river?” Chris called out from above them on the bank and Yuuri turned his head to look. Phichit stood there too, Chris’ arm draped over his shoulder. The Thai Omega looked a mixture of pleased to be under his Alpha’s arm and upset on Yuuri’s behalf.

“My Yuuri ran into my arms so hard and we fell.” Victor laughed and Yuuri wanted to hide his face. He didn’t run into Victor’s arms. It was an accident…a tragic accident. He couldn’t believe he practically let himself get caught. His face burned with the shame so he couldn’t bring himself to look Victor in the eyes.

“Yuuri,” Victor’s voice went soft. “Please answer me. Are you hurt?”

“No…I’m fine.” Yuuri spoke a little too quickly, but if Victor noticed, he said nothing. Yuuri felt flustered so he added. “But maybe you should let me go so we can get up.”

Victor hesitated, but he loosened his grip and let Yuuri stand. Yuuri carefully stood up before offering a hand to help Victor. Victor took it and Yuuri pulled him up only to have Victor wince a bit. When the Alpha lifted his foot out of the water, taking the pressure off of it that the Omega realized he’d been injured.

“Victor? What’s wrong with your foot?” Yuuri asked wanting an answer.

“Oh, it got twisted when I fell into a pit trap. Chris had just gotten me out of the net too and I fell right in. It’s just a sprain. It should be fine after I get some rest.”

Yuuri felt mortified. He and Phichit set up the other trap as well. When they set them up, Yuuri never imagined anyone getting hurt by them. He already felt guilty about trapping Victor in the net, but finding this out, the guilt ate at him more.

“I’m so sorry Victor. Phichit and I found the trap and we covered it better…we didn’t think…” Yuri started to say, but Victor shook his head.

“You were doing what you could to avoid getting caught and no one could have predicted that I’d be injured. You don’t need to feel guilty about any of this. It’s minor and when we get back to the mansion, someone can take a look at it. I’ll just take it easy and it’ll heal right up. You’ll see.” Victor said with a wink.

His words did little to dull the feelings Yuuri felt, but he helped walk Victor over to the bank. Chris helped pull Victor up and Phichit was there with his dry jacket, moving to drape it over Yuuri’s shoulders. Yuuri murmured a thanks pulling the jacket around him tighter.

“Yuuri, come here and sit with me while we wait for the medical staff. I want to talk to you while we wait.”

Yuuri moved automatically, coming to kneel down next to Victor. The Alpha took hold of the Omega’s hand rubbing his hands over it in an effort to warm them

“You’re hands are so cold. When we get back, we should be able to get warmed back up. I wish I’d been a bit more steady on my feet. We wouldn’t have fallen into the river.”

“It’s fine.” Yuuri said even though he was shivering a bit. Despite everything, he was looking forward to a nice hot bath or shower when they got back. Victor’s hand felt warm even though the Russian looked just as wet as he did. Still Victor was a little more used to this level of cold, having grown up in this country.

Chris removed the shoe and sock from Victor’s injured foot and Yuuri noticed the makeshift splint and the cloth tied around it to secure it. Guilt rose up again, but Victor’s hands on his calmed him a bit. Chris gave Victor some instructions, trying to see the range of motion of his ankle before taking off his own jacket, propping the foot up so that it would elevate it. It didn’t give too much time to chat, but it didn’t matter. The medical staff came through the woods not long after.

They decided it’d be better to treat the ankle up at the mansion. It’d looked impossible to drag a gurney out in these woods so they brought an old fashioned stretcher to help carry Victor back. At first, Yuuri tried to pull away to get out of their way, but Victor refused to let go.

“Victor, you have to let me go. The staff need to work on getting you on the stretcher.” Yuuri pleaded.

“But if I let you go, how do I know you won’t run away?” Victor sounded genuinely worried, but Yuuri knew he wouldn’t run. Not now.

“You caught me. I have no reason to run or a place to run to.”He admitted a little quieter than he normally would.

It hurt to say it, but Yuuri meant every word. Victor won, so Yuuri would admit defeat and let himself be claimed by the Alpha.Victor must have decided to trust him, because he allowed Yuuri to pull away to stand.

Victor watched him the entire walk back. Phichit tried to talk to him, but Yuuri just stayed quiet and followed not even trying to make a break for it. He might be upset that he got caught, but he’d never be a sore loser and try to do something like that.

When they got back, Chris and Phichit were ushered away, probably sent to their own room. Yuuri managed to wave and smile at Phichit giving him his jacket back as another staff member brought him a large towel to wrap up in. They fussed over him while the medical staff tended to Victor’s foot.

The last thing Yuuri wanted was to get in their way, so when a handler offered to escort him back to his room, Yuuri agreed and asked them to pass it on to Victor so that he wouldn’t worry or wonder where Yuuri went off too. Once Victor got back to the room, they’d practically be locked in there for the next several days and Yuuri wanted to have a few precious moments alone to steel his nerves for the night to come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Victor winces as the doctor wrapped his foot back up with a proper brace on his ankle and handed him some pain killers. He was told to try not to put any pressure on it and keep it elevated as much as possible. Only half listening, his thoughts turned to the beautiful Omega he’d managed to catch.

Yuuri looked so surprised when Victor ran out to catch him. The pain in his foot was well worth the trouble to feel the weight and warmth of the Omega in his arms. The scent of Yuuri’s floral scent made him a little dizzy, but in a good way. He couldn’t wait for them to get to a point where Yuuri would be willing to scent him.

He felt so lost in his day dream that he startled when another staff member came to collect him. This was it, he’d be heading back to his room to spend the next few days alone with his Omega. They would mate, bond, and hopefully come to an understanding between them. Victor still felt the desire to learn everything he could about his Omega and soon to be mate.

Hobbling down the hall with a crutch was a challenge, more so because he wanted to rush to join Yuuri. It seemed to take forever to get there and the handler stopped him to give him a few more instructions. They were told to clean up a bit and lunch would be delivered to them before they’d bring in something to induce Yuuri’s heat so they could bond. Victor nodded that he understood and finally felt relief at being able to go into the room.

Yuuri wasn’t anywhere in sight, but Victor could hear the shower running in the background. It made sense for Yuuri to want to clean up and get warm after everything that happened. Victor’s own clothes were still wet and clung awkwardly to his body. It felt uncomfortable, but he didn’t want to intrude on Yuuri just yet. He’d respect Yuuri enough to wait until they were mated before considering joining him in the bath.

Instead he shifted around the room gathering a change of clothes and decided to take a seat by the table to wait for Yuuri to finish. As he sat there, his thoughts turned to the dark haired Omega and what he just accomplished.

He’d done it. He managed to catch Yuuri and Yuuri would be his mate in a matter of hours. The thought sent pleasant shivers down his spine along with dozens of mental images of the Omega and what their future could hold.

He didn’t want to press the Omega into doing anything he didn’t want to. Victor knew what would be expected of the Omega now that they would be mates. He couldn’t protect Yuuri from everything, but he hoped that within the walls of their home he and Yuuri would become equals in how they dealt with their own affairs.

Every country had their own laws and how Omegas were treated. Russia maintained it’s more conservative ideologies. Omegas were better off seen and not heard. They belonged in the home to cook and clean for their mates…swollen full with their Alpha’s children. While aspects of that appealed to Victor, he didn’t want Yuuri to feel beneath him. He’d make sure Yuuri understood what he wanted and he’d do his best to see to it that Yuuri remained happy and healthy all the same.

He wished he could protect Yuuri from this though. Sure, he wanted to be able to claim his mate and for them to have children. He wished it happened on their own terms though. Until Yuuri had a child or went through two full heats without getting pregnant, no doctor would prescribe birth control to him.

Victor knew Yuuri didn’t seem to completely want to be bonded either. From how hard he fought to stay away from Victor during the hunt, he aimed to get away. It was contradictory to his nod at the start of the hunt, giving Victor permission to hunt him down. He’d have to wait a little bit longer to ask Yuuri about it. Still, he knew every Omega usually had a reason for joining the hunt to begin with. Victor wanted to ask what Yuuri’s reason was, but he didn’t want to pry to much either.

Taking a deep breath, he leaned back in the chair wishing things were a bit different. He wished he met Yuuri sooner, courted him properly, and made sure the Omega fell in love with Victor. Victor felt like he’d be smitten from the start and determined. He could bond the Omega properly knowing that they felt the same.

The hunt turned everything on it’s head. He’d bond with Yuuri and then hopefully the Omega and him might fall in love with each other. He’d at least try. First things first, he needed to get Yuuri comfortable with him, get the Omega to open up and willing to talk to him.

The door to the bathroom opened and Victor startled, looking up to see Yuuri standing in the doorway in a blue silk robe. His dark locks slicked back away from his face so that Victor saw the little bit of surprise in his eyes. The Omega was stunning and without the scent of the dirt, grime, and various scents from the woods, the floral scent that Victor associated strictly with Yuuri filled the air. The smell came out subtle and sweet.

Victor gave out his own scent in reaction. If his Alpha had it’s way, he’d be scenting the Omega, covering him in his scent, but he didn’t want to come off as a possessive, knot head. Instead, he managed a smile, coming to stand on his feet.

“You look stunning Yuuri. Why don’t you relax while I get in the shower. Lunch should be here soon and we can talk for a little bit. Sound okay?”

Yuuri seemed to be in a shocked stupor for another moment. Slowly, he nodded, stepping into the room. Victor wanted to linger, to talk to Yuuri but he still felt cold and didn’t need to get sick right now. Forcing his body into the bathroom, he felt a bit more relief when the door was shut and the scent was dulled out.

He set his stuff down, turning the shower on to warm up the water as he stripped out of his dirty clothes tossing them in the corner. Careful to keep his bandaged leg out of the water, Victor washed all the grime off of his body and began to clean the dirt out of his hair. The warm water felt heavenly on his skin.

He didn’t linger in the shower, stepping out, he wrapped a towel around his waist and awkwardly went through his post shower ritual. Yuuri had seen him at both his best and his worst. Time for him to just see Victor as he was and hopefully Yuuri would be willing to do the same to him in return.

He rushed a little, wanting to be back in the room with Yuuri. Deciding to dress in a simple shirt and sweatpants so not to startle the Omega, he opened the bathroom door to find Yuuri sitting over by the window. Yuuri turned to look at him as he stepped out and Victor felt the awkward silence settle between them.

For once, Victor didn’t know what to say. It hurt a bit and he couldn’t say he liked the feeling. Still he wanted to give Yuuri as much space as he needed. Who knew what was actually going on in Yuuri’s head right now…

Thankfully, lunch arrived creating an opportunity for Victor to try and get Yuuri to talk to him a bit. Food always had a way of solving problems. Victor moved to the table as the food was placed on it. Yuuri lingered by the window even after the staff member started to leave.

“Yuuri, would you like to come over and eat. We can talk and start to get to know each other.” Victor called out.

The Omega didn’t respond, but he did get off the bench by the window and come to sit at the table. The silence felt awkward and heavy between them and Victor wanted Yuuri to just talk to him, but he didn’t. Victor frowned, when the Omega continued to eat in silence, looking as though he was lost in his own thoughts. He didn’t even look at Victor as he put another bite in his mouth. Not liking the silence one bit. He cocked his head and watched Yuuri a few moments longer before deciding to try to prod some answers from Yuuri.

“Yuuri, why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself? Where are you from and what’s it like there?”

The Omega startled, dropping his fork on his plate and finally meeting Victor’s gaze. It took a moment for Yuuri to recover. He looked a bit startled for a moment longer before averting his gaze again though he started to answer.

“I grew up in a little town by the sea…Hasetsu, Japan. It was small and peaceful, nothing really special about it…” Yuuri trailed off.

“Tell me more.” Victor prompted trying to keep the eagerness out of his tone. He failed epically, but Yuuri seemed to perk up a bit.

“It’s known as a castle town, but the castle isn’t so much a castle, but a house with a ninja facade inside.”

“What? Really?” Victor leaned in interested. “No way.”

After that the information between them began to flow a bit easier. Yuuri still remained a bit reserved, but he willingly told Victor about his home town and about his family’s inn. In return, Victor told him about St. Petersburg and his own home…and his dog. Yuuri’s interest perked up at the mention of Makkachin and Victor gushed a little bit too much. Still it was better than nothing and the Alpha would take what he could get.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Victor was nothing like Yuuri expected him to be. He expected the Alpha to start giving him orders or pushing him to mate. Instead, Victor left him alone asking him questions as if he saw Yuuri as more than his secondary gender. Still, he didn’t trust the Alpha one bit an he knew the reason while he was there. He couldn’t escape mating and bonding even if he wanted to.

He’d had his breakdown in the shower, managing to keep it together long enough to hide before he let everything crash around him. He cried under the spray letting it wash his emotions away with the water.

When he managed to stop sobbing, he finished his shower and started to make preparations of what was expected of him. He didn’t trust Victor to not be different than any other Alpha out there. The likelihood that Victor would just take him and claim him the moment he stepped out of the bathroom or the moment Victor returned to the room was high seeing as the Alpha hadn’t wanted him to leave his side in the first place.

Yuuri could grieve the loss of his freedom, but he had enough respect of himself as a person that he refused to back off from this. He’d become Victor’s mate with as much dignity as he could muster. All he hoped for is that Victor would be willing to let him talk to his family and maybe ‘allowed’ a hobby.

The thought sat bitter in his mouth, but he choked it down as he used some gel to push his hair back and put in a new pair of contacts before donning a dark blue robe and heading out of the room, freezing when he saw Victor there.

He held his breath almost the entire time the Alpha spoke to him, relaxing only after Victor went into the bathroom to get his own shower. Grateful for the reprieve, he retreated to the window to look out at the garden trying to get his nerves under control and not let his anxious thoughts fill him with fear or dread.

He could feel the awkwardness in the air when Victor returned. Neither knew what to say to each other until lunch had been served and Victor called Yuuri away from the window…ever the dutiful Omega doing what his Alpha asked of him.

The conversation started hesitantly between them. Victor inquiring about where he came from and offering his own words in return. The words shared seemed so fragile to Yuuri as he didn’t know where he stood with the Alpha nor did he know how long he’d have before he’d go before the Alpha pounced.

As they finished their meal in silence, he felt Victor’s gaze studying him. He didn’t know what to say, couldn’t think of what to ask the other man. His thoughts spiraled in a swirl until a knock sounded on the door breaking his connection to the thoughts. An attendant entered with a drink sitting on the cart he rolled into the room. He cleared off the dishes, setting the drink in front of Yuuri along with an envelope he pulled out of his pocket. With shaky hands, Yuuri opened the envelope and read the instructions before tossing it back on the table with disgust.

The ‘drink’ would send him into a false heat for the rest of the evening. Enough that Yuuri would give in to his base instincts and let the Alpha take him without any objection. Yuuri felt disgusted that they thought so little of him that he’d be reduced to his base Omega instincts for this.

He didn’t want to do it, but at the same time he felt like he had to. As much as he hated to admit it, he didn’t think he could do this without the aid, but it still bothered him.

“Yuuri, are you all right?” Victor asked.

“I don’t know.” Yuuri answered honestly feeling a bit numb. “I guess I’m a bit tired and I’m not sure how I feel.”

“It’s been a long day. We’re both a bit tired from everything we did today.”

Yuuri caught Victor glancing at the drink, but he didn’t say anything despite the fact that he seemed to want to know about it.

“It’s to start a false heat…” Yuuri told him, though he didn’t know why. Maybe part of the reason he felt tired and unsure came from the fact he didn’t know Victor’s agenda and he didn’t want to wait any longer to see what came next. Still his throat tightened as he continued. “…So we can bond easier.”

Victor frowned. “Yuuri, if you don’t want to drink it, you don’t have to. We can take our time and talk about it…do this our own way, if you want.”

It sounded so odd to hear Victor say that. He couldn’t possibly mean that completely, after all the effort he put into this. Still, it sounded sincere and Yuuri found himself biting his bottom lip to try to steel his nerves. He had to drink it, even if he didn’t want to. He doubted he’d have the courage to let Victor bond him without it. Besides all that, he knew they’d never be able to leave this mansion until they bonded. The organizers wouldn’t let them.

Instead of over thinking it, he reached for the glass and chugged it down as quickly as he could without embarrassing himself. When he finished he placed the glass back down on the table. When he turned back, he caught a glimpse of Victor’s stunned face and a flush crept across his own face.

“I knew what I was signing up for and what getting caught meant. I told you this before when we were by the river, but you caught me fairly and went through a lot of effort to do it. I’m still not completely sure about how I’m feeling or what I want, and I did have my own reasons for joining the hunt, but I’m not so much a sore loser that I’m going to keep you from what you worked so hard for. I’m willing to accept this…if you still want me.” He added on, feeling a self conscious sitting there in his robe and knowing what was coming.

What he didn’t expect was for Victor to drop to his knees, reaching up to tip Yuuri’s face to meet his gaze. Victor’s eyes look sad, but determined all the same.

“How could I not want you? I did work hard to try and catch you because I feel a spark of something between us. I don’t know what that is, but I wanted to see if we could make this work between us.” He started, his voice warm and without any judgment. “I don’t want to force you to do anything you don’t want to do. All I want is to try and get to know you and for you to get to know me. I want to know what makes you happy so I can make you happy and I hope you’ll try to do the same for me.”

Victor looked at him intently, with hope and Yuuri still felt nervous. He felt like he should at least consider getting to know Victor a little bit. They’d be bonded within the next couple of hours and Victor’s questions at dinner…trying to learn about Yuuri’s life and home…led him to believe Victor meant what he said. After a moment he nodded.

“I’m not exactly good at these kinds of things, but I…I’m willing to try. I just…I need some time to accept everything and what this means…but I’m not going to push this off just because I’m insecure about it. I think waiting will only make me more anxious about it.” Yuuri admitted, trying to give Victor some idea on how he felt about all this despite being overwhelmed and unsure.

The Alpha smiled softly. “Take all the time you need Yuuri. I understand a little about being unsure about all this. I have to admit, I’m not one-hundred percent sure I know what I’m doing when it comes to this, but I want to try this with you and I’ll try to meet you where you are.”

Victor reached for his hand and pressed his lips against warm knuckles and Yuuri flushed again. He couldn’t help the warmth spread from his knuckles up his arm and into his chest. The blush burned on his face and he wondered if the drink wasn’t already taking effect.

“Why don’t you relax on the bed for a little bit while we wait for that to kick in. I’m going to go clean up my mess in the bathroom and if you’re comfortable, I can join you and we can just relax until it starts. Sound good?”

Yuuri nodded and Victor finally let go of his hand. The Omega watched him go, rubbing the still warm spot on his hand before going to sit on the bed. The plush mattress felt just as good as the one he’d been sleeping on in his own room, but the bed was bigger, meant for two people to share. After tonight…he’d be sharing with his mate. If only he could feel comfortable about that, but from the ache settling in his gut, slowly growing. It was only a matter of time before he wouldn’t care about it at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Victor closed the bathroom door and breathed out in relief, hope blooming once again in his heart. With the way Yuuri had been acting, Victor didn’t want to push. Something broke the tension between them and he knew Yuuri made it happen. He thought Yuuri wanted this with him, but didn’t want to make it easy for him though now it sounded like the Omega had some second thoughts…at least Victor though that until he saw the Omega toss back the drink. Maybe Yuuri did want him…but felt confused by everything.

Victor knew his rink mates described him as over the top, air headed, sometimes inconsiderate…maybe Yuuri saw that too. He meant what he said, but he didn’t think Yuuri believed him. For the next few hours, they’d be driven by their instincts…a need to mate and to bond, but when it was all said and done, Victor wanted to be able to show Yuuri he meant it. He knew he could be determined and stubborn. Maybe he still had time to romance the Omega and make Yuuri fall desperately in love with him.

Those thoughts remained with him as he moved to the sink and splashed water on his face. He didn’t need to clean up anything like he said, he just wanted to give Yuuri some space and cleaning up seemed to be the first thing he thought of. A part of him wanted to be out there, laying in bed next to his future mate, sharing their first kiss before Yuuri was so lost to instinct…but Victor held back. He realized looking at himself in the mirror, watching the water droplets falling from his chin and into the sink, he felt nervous.

By no means had he been celibate over the years. He had partners for every rut he had since he turned 15. He learned and improved to make sure that he could make sure when he found his mate, their experience would be good. Omegas usually remained virgins until they found a mate, so the likelihood of this being Yuuri’s first time could be true. Still, Victor found his thoughts turning, questioning what he should do and he never felt like that.

Early on, he found that he had minimal nerves in his career, exhilarated by being able to skate and perform. Sure, he felt nerves sometimes, especially skating a new routine in public, but it never felt like this. He placed a hand over his fluttering heart and closed his eyes. Even through the nerves, he reminded himself that he’d been successful…that Yuuri was in the next room…that the Omega might want him. It helped turn his nerves into a bit of excitement. He’d be a bonded Alpha with one of the most beautiful Omegas he’d ever seen and he felt confident that he’d be able to make Yuuri happy…if Yuuri would only give him the chance.

He’d steeled what remained of his nerves and put on his best smile, he opened the door…

…into a wave of that delectable floral scent he remembered from the cloth he got at the start of this and he inhaled deeply, eyes seeking the source of that delicious scent.

His eyes fell on Yuuri laying on the bed, hand pressed over his abdomen, most likely trying to suppress sudden heat cramps. Victor wished he had something to help the Omega, but if Yuuri’s scent had grown so potent in a matter of minutes, no doubt his heat would come on quickly and there was only one way Victor could alleviate the ache that would linger.

He let out his own scent, meant to be soothing to the Omega, but Yuuri’s eyes open wide, caught on in a bit of panic. Victor knew his Alpha was needy for their Omega and it must have shown.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Yuuri.” He let the name roll off his tongue. He loved the name. It fit the Omega so well.

“It’s coming on quicker than I thought.” Yuuri’s voice rushed out, reflecting the panic that showed on his face, but Victor released more scent, coming to sit on the bed.

“Breathe Yuuri. Surely you’ve had heats in the past. We have plenty of supplies stocked and you are safe in my care. Relax and let it come when it comes. Let your Omega take over and let it guide you.”

He brushed Yuuri’s hair away from his face and felt how warm his face felt. His heat was coming on quickly and Victor wanted to make sure Yuuri felt relaxed and comfortable before they got started.

Victor moved off the bed careful to not put too much weight on his throbbing ankle, going to go get a few water bottles, sports drinks, and some energy bars putting them on the table. He pulled out the lube he brought with him setting it by the food, but closer to the bed. They wouldn’t need protection seeing as the heat would be a temporary one so they could bond and Victor selfishly wanted to be able to feel Yuuri in every way.

He could feel Yuuri’s eyes on him, watching him move around the room. Victor liked Yuuri watching him feeling relief when he looked at Yuuri and caught the Omega’s hazy gaze. A bit of desire filled that gaze as Yuuri’s hand picked at the tie of his robe. Victor placed a hand over Yuuri’s to stop him and a new type of tension passed between them, sizzling and threatening to snap.

“Yuuri…” Victor breathed, partially asking Yuuri for permission and partially pleading to not hold back. He couldn’t ask the actual questions, but from the way Yuuri’s eyes darkened, he heard and understood.

Slowly, Yuuri reached up to cup Victor’s face, his thumb coming to caress Victor’s bottom lip. The Alpha bit back the groan that wanted to spill out as the touch made him want to shutter and made his Alpha want to dig in and take what he earned today without hesitation.

Victor didn’t know who moved first. One minute he stared into Yuuri’s beautiful eyes and the next moment their mouths touched in a first desperate kiss. It was sloppy at first, teeth clacking and the angle awkward, but Victor pulled back momentarily, using his fingers on Yuuri’s chin to tilt it before diving in for a proper kiss.

Yuuri gasped as Victor slid his tongue past parted lips and deepening the kiss. Pale and nimble fingers went to the ties of Yuuri’s robe, swatting Yuuri’s hand away and undid the loose knot to let the robe fall loose giving Victor just a glimpse of Yuuri’s body. Slowly, he peeled the fabric away and pulled back to get his first look at bare skin.

The Omega beneath him was stunning. His Asian heritage gave way to a light tan skin tone and he had a combination of firm muscle and slight Omega curves. Victor knew Yuuri would never gain muscle like an Alpha, but still Yuuri tried though faint stretch marks lined his stomach from past weight gain. He could already see the sheen of slick on Yuuri’s thighs and despite the constant stereotypical rumors of Omegas being small, Yuuri had a beautiful cock though it wasn’t nearly as long or as thick as his own.

“You’re beautiful,” Victor murmured as he allowed himself to run his hands over the newly exposed skin watching it ripple and flex under his touch. Soft little gasps escaped past Yuuri’s parted lips, those cinnamon eyes darkening a bit before the Omega turned his head away in embarrassment.

Victor wanted to kiss him but settled for pressing his lips against the bond gland that slowly swelled beneath skin. Soon his teeth would sink in and claim the Omega beneath him and Yuuri would finally be his. His Alpha had enough of waiting already. Now it pressed him to claim his mate fully and without holding back.

Yuuri stiffened underneath him before shifting, allowing his head to fall back in submission. Victor pressed one more kiss to the spot knowing it wasn’t time for that yet, lingering a moment longer to inhale Yuuri’s thick floral scent and began to explore the beautiful body beneath him.

He trailed his lips down to his nipples as he reached down to circle Yuuri’s cock with his hand. He circled his tongue over his nipple as he brushed his thumb over the tip of the erection causing another gasp and a long moan to escape his Omega. A small grin graced his features as his own arousal responded.

Every shift of Yuuri’s body, every cry from his lips, pushed Victor to act more. He never wanted Yuuri to regret this night and he wanted to make sure Yuuri would come back to his bed in time. He continued to tease his nipples, using his mouth to draw more sounds from Yuuri. He continued to run his hand over Yuuri’s cock slowly, wanting to draw it out. Right now was about putting his mate’s pleasure first.

He felt fingers slide into his hair, pulling at the locks, trying to force him to go down. Victor obliged, allowing Yuuri to guide him as he trailed down his stomach to the cock. Yuuri whimpered as Victor stroked his hand down and pressed a kiss to the tip of Yuuri’s cock.

Smirking at the sound, he looked up and caught Yuuri’s gaze. The Omega panted, eyes filled with a lusty haze. Victor held that gaze as he ran his tongue on the underside of Yuuri’s cock before taking the tip in his mouth and slowly sinking down the length.

Yuuri’s cry filled the air and Victor sucked on the cock in his mouth, moving up and down the length as his hand came up to fondle the base for a moment before that hand slid back to press against the slick entrance.

Yuuri tensed up, hissing involuntarily a the touch. Victor pulled away from his cock for a moment. “Relax, Yuuri. I don’t want to hurt you, but you need to relax and open up to me. Breathe deep.”

Victor watched Yuuri breathe a bit before he returned to the blow job he’d been giving his mate. When Yuuri’s muscles relaxed a bit, he pressed one finger inside. Yuuri clenched around the digit reflexively, head thrashing at the dual sensations. The Omega jammed his fist into his mouth, trying to muffle erratic cries. Victor pulled back once more, reaching up to pull the fist away with a pop.

“Don’t hold back, Yuuri. I want to hear your cries. I want to know that I’m making you feel good.”

“But…if…people hear me…” Yuuri countered, panting and sounding a bit unsure.

“You have nothing to be ashamed of. You are being claimed by your mate and they’ll know that you were well taken care of. It’s a good thing.” Victor spoke low, worshiping his mate with his mouth between words.

Yuuri shuttered, eyes finding Victor…watching him and Victor couldn’t look away. While he held Yuuri’s gaze, he pressed in a second finger, scissoring the opening trying to loosen it more. He renewed his efforts, vigorously trying to distract Yuuri from his thoughts and the probing fingers loosening his body to prepare for a larger Alpha cock. Eventually, Yuuri’s fingers tightened in his hair and his free hand clenched at the fabric of the robe he still wore.

It didn’t take long for Victor to add a third finger and then a fourth. From Yuuri’s cries, he was climbing closer and closer to his climax. Victor still felt like the Omega was holding himself back. Pulling back one final time he spoke low, coaxing.

“Stop holding back, Yuuri. You can come. I want you to let go and give in. I know you and I don’t know each other very well, but just for tonight trust me to take care of you. Let your Omega take over and you’ll be fine with me.”

Yuuri looked at him, a bit of uncertainty in his gaze. Victor couldn’t blame him for the lack of trust or not wanting to completely give in, but Yuuri also made this choice for them. In order to go forward, he’d have to make another one.

Victor wouldn’t stop now though. He wanted Yuuri to have at least one orgasm to relax him. His heat, even though it was false and temporary, would still last a few hours. They still had time to do what they needed to do.

Turning away from Yuuri’s gaze, but knowing he still watched, Victor doubled his efforts. Yuuri tightened the fingers in his hair. Victor searched, curling his fingers inside of Yuuri to find the spot that made him shout in pleasure, body tight. He continued to press against that spot and the continuous cries slipping past Yuuri’s parted lips became the only warning he got before the Omega spilled into his mouth.

Victor swallowed it all down, coaxing Yuuri through his orgasm until he went limp on the bed. He pulled his fingers out of Yuuri’s body and looked down at the Omega flush, but content on the bed. A small trickle escaped his mouth, but before he could wipe it away, Yuuri shot up, licking the line up to Victor’s mouth before capturing it in another kiss.

Victor gasped this time, reaching out to take hold of Yuuri’s waist. After a moment, he felt Yuuri’s own hands tugging at the hem of his shirt and the band of his sweatpants. Reaching up to catch the frantic hands, he felt the shift and desperation coming off the Omega in waves. Pulling back, he could see a different haze in Yuuri’s eyes and he knew that the Omega had taken over.

“Easy Yuuri, I have you.” Victor told him, trying to lower him back to the bed, but Yuuri resisted.

“No…Alpha I…I need…” Yuuri’s voice came out low, needy pant.

“I’ve got you. Give me a moment and I will take care of you. I promise.”

Yuuri whimpered, but stopped struggling allowing Victor to take a few steps back. Victor awkwardly yanked his shirt over his head and then struggled to get the pants over his bandages. Thankfully, he no longer felt much pain, too high on the endorphin and pain medicine. His underwear went last and Victor felt some relief on his straining cock.

When he turned around a groan escaped at the sight before him. Yuuri had discarded the robe he’d been wrapped in and the Omega positioned himself on his hands and knees, looking back at Victor with hungry eyes. All doubts had been left behind as the Omega finally took over.

Cursing low in Russian, he had to fight back his Alpha in order to keep his cool. He didn’t want to rush anything and he didn’t want his Alpha to hurt their Omega no matter how much he wanted to hurry.

“I know I keep saying this, but you’re beautiful…perfect for me…my Yuuri. I’m going to take care of you and I’m going to claim and mark you as my mate. Do you want me too?”

A soft whine filled the air and Victor knew at least that instinctively, Yuuri wanted him. It flared his desires and he reached for the lube on the side table. Slicking up his cock, he approached the Omega placing his free hand on Yuuri’s hips to steady him as he lined his cock up against his Omega’s slick entrance.

Slowly, he pressed against the entrance, the tip of his cock pressing in. Yuuri gasped and clenched around him. Victor massaged Yuuri’s hips and rubbed his sides, coaxing him to relax with is touch and sweet words and praises, murmuring a combination of English and Russian into sweat slick skin.

Eventually, Yuuri relaxed and bit by bit, Victor pressed deeper and deeper inside of the Omega until his hips lay flush against Yuuri’s ass. The Omega keened out loud and Victor continued to touch his body, reaching around to take hold of Yuuri’s cock, stroking it back to hardness.

“Alpha…Victor…” Yuuri moaned out loud, pleading. Victor bit back his own sound of surprise at the call of his name. “Move…please.”

Victor groaned and began to move, shifting his hips in time with his strokes on Yuuri’s cock. It felt amazing and Victor gave in to Yuuri’s cries of ‘more, faster, and harder,’ allowing his Alpha more reign. Victor draped his body along Yuuri’s back, sucking possessive marks into tan skin.

His mouth found the swollen bonding gland in Yuuri’s neck and the Omega gasped, letting his head fall back against Victor’s shoulder as he tilted his head to give Victor easier access. Victor sucked another bruise around the mark. Yuuri shuttered in his arms and Victor pulled away to focus on Yuuri’s pleasure one more time before they bonded.

He pressed deep and hard causing Yuuri to cry out with each thrust. It might be cliche, but he wanted to time his bite with their orgasm. It would hurt, but less so with Yuuri’s pleasure to help stifle some of the pain from the bite.

He knew when Yuuri was close. How his body clenched around him, the sounds that escaped him became more desperate and frequent, his body shuttering as he held back again. Victor knot started to form, signaling his own desperate need for release.

“Relax a little more for me Yuuri.” He pleaded with the Omega. “Deep breaths.”

Yuuri whined, but did as Victor asked him. He took a few deep breaths, wiling his body to relax. Victor continued to thrust, pushing against the rim until the knot managed to pop inside. He and Yuuri cried out together as the sensation caused them to release together, Yuuri into Victor’s hand and Victor deep inside his mate.

Without conscious thought, Victor’s teeth found Yuuri’s bond mark, biting deep that he could feel a bit of blood trickle into his mouth. His teeth sent a bit non toxic venom into the gland, bonding them together. He felt Yuuri go limp in his arms, the sensations too much for him and Victor slowly lowered the body to the bed. He ran his tongue over the bond mark, trying to soothe the sting.

He pulled his mate into his arms, laying on his side, he spooned Yuuri trying to keep him comfortable as he waited for his knot to go down. With any luck, Yuuri would sleep through the rest of his heat and they could figure a few things out. Until then, he’d rest and keep having hope for tomorrow. Before he fell asleep, he felt the warmth settle in his heart. For the first time in a long time, he finally felt content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, what did you all think? They've got some serious talking to do, but it's going to be a little awkward for a little while. Also I’m still very much a noob when it comes to writing smut, so hopefully it was okay. Also, I think I got a little bit sloppier at editing closer to the end, and I wanted to get this out quickly so forgive any mistakes. Hope you will all continue to read and check out my other stories.
> 
> Please follow me and feel free to reach out to me on Tumblr. I don't look all that active, but I'm on Tumblr just about every day, so I will see it and get back to you as soon as I can.
> 
> Come follow me on tumblr [Here](http://midnightjournalist.tumblr.com/)  
> I do post previews and I can do some world building up there. Tell me what you want to see. Also, check out my other stories and let me know what you think!
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> Also decided to start a Discord channel if you would like to come discuss my work with me and other readers. I only ask that if you come in, you abide by the rules and make an effort to be a little active. It would be great for me to meet and talk to those who enjoy reading my stuff...just follow the link below. Not on Discord yet...it's free to download on your computer or on a mobile app or you can open it up on their webpage if that works better for you.
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	6. Lesson 6: Take Time To Listen and Learn to Move Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, getting this out a day early because I might be traveling tomorrow to visit some family. I did a quick edit, but the dogs have been bothering me so it's not as thorough as I'd like it to be, so forgive me if there's a few too many mistakes. Small side note...I'll be updating One Moonlit Night today as well, but in a couple of hours, so keep an eye out if you follow that too. Hope you enjoy!

Yuuri didn’t want to wake up, but he could already feel a bit of the discomfort in his lower backside, the sting in his neck, and the slow creeping headache growing. He’d slept through the night as the early morning rays seeped through the window. He could feel the weight of the body behind him and arms wrapped around his waist. Soft warm breaths hit the back of his neck and tickled his hair as his mate slept on and Yuuri fought the urge to pull away or blush even as he felt the heat burn in his cheeks.

He’d managed to go through with this even though he had a bit of help. Still, he wasn’t Yuuri Katsuki anymore. The paperwork may not be filed yet, but he’d be taking on the name of his mate and all the expectations that gone with it. The thought left him feeling a little numb, but he’d known the moment he sent in his application to participate what came after.

So far, Victor had been kind to him. He’d given him a way out even though they’d never be able to get way with it. Yuuri’s first time had been handled with care and consideration…so much so that he felt embarrassed at how he reacted from the overwhelming pleasure. After the first time, his mind became hazy, a little lost in the drug induced heat, but from what he could tell, Victor took care of him. His body had been cleaned up and dressed in underwear and a t-shirt at least before he’d been tucked under the covers. It looked like Victor even replaced the soiled comforter for a clean one.

His Omega side felt safe and content, probably the only reason Yuuri wasn’t fully freaking out at the moment. He didn’t know what to make of the Alpha when he knew so many who practically lorded over Omegas. He also knew not all Alphas were like that, but he’d grown up expecting the worse and his handful of dates with knot headed Alphas never helped him shake his dislike for how they acted and how they treated him or any other Omega.

Still, he wanted to believe Victor would be different. He’d been kind, curious of Yuuri’s life, sharing a little bit about his own life getting overly excited about his dog. Yuuri could relate, having a toy poodle who passed the year before and the thought of having a dog again did lighten his mood a bit. The only thing he could hope for was that Victor wasn’t acting and once they were alone turn out to be a monster in disguise.

It’d help him if he knew what Victor expected of him. Knowing he’d be leaving his life behind to go into the unknown made his anxiety flare up and he often assumed the worst of every situation. The other problem…he didn’t know how to ask Victor, too afraid to find out the answer. Yuuri didn’t want to become a stereotypical Omega who lived to stay at home, good only to cook and clean and bear children.

He longed to see if Victor would allow him to continue dancing even if he never saw a professional stage again. Victor told him he was a competitive figure skater. Maybe he’d be allowed to skate a little like he used to with his friends back home. He never became good enough to go professional, but it helped him relax and sometimes even figure out how he wanted to move when doing his routines. It’d be a miracle if Victor willingly granted him something.

A soft groan escape and he heard a shift in breath and arms pulling him a bit closer, back pressed up against a warm chest. Warm lips brushed his ear sending another flush across his face.

“Good morning, Yuuri.” Victor murmured, his voice deep and sleep rough. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Fine.” Yuuri squeaked out, hoping Victor would just roll over and go back to sleep. He didn’t.

“You’re not. Are you in pain? I can get you some pain medicine.” Victor spoke, moving to sit up. The Alpha slipped out of the bed before Yuuri could answer, hissing as he put pressure on his injured ankle. Yuuri shot up, gasping at his own pain. Still, Victor moved forward, hobbling to where he left the pain pills bringing them back to the bed. He handed Yuuri some water and a couple pills before taking some for himself. Yuuri took the pills grateful for something that would dull the pain.

It’d take some time for it to kick in, but since Yuuri was already sitting up, he might as well try to make it to the bathroom. He knew a hot bath will help ease the soreness. He’d rather try to make it to the bathroom to be rid of his pain quicker than try to wait for the medicine to kick in.

“Yuuri? Where are you going?” Victor asked as he slid off the bed.

“Bathroom.” Yuuri replied curtly, as he slowly made his way to his destination. He shut the door behind him doing what he had to do to get the bath started. He felt grateful for the foresight to put his bath salts in the bathroom when he took his shower yesterday. Filling the water, he added the salts and stripped out of his clothes. He stripped his clothes off, setting them aside before sinking down in the warmth.

The water felt amazing on his backside. It stung a bit at first, but he slowly relaxed into the soothing water and let it ease his body and his mind. He knew he couldn’t stay there forever as he needed to talk to Victor, but at the least he could revel in the feeling in that moment.

He still didn’t know how to act or what to say to Victor. The desperately needed to think and figure out what he wanted to ask Victor. He only hesitated because of his fear of Alpha’s. Even if Victor turned out to be different…he didn’t want to think about that right now.

The sound of the door opening startled him. Victor leaned in the doorway and Yuuri felt a little self conscious as those blue eyes studied him.

“I wanted to check on you. I heard the water running and I wanted to make sure you were doing all right.” Victor’s eyes turned soft as Yuuri sat up in the tub.

“I’m fine. My family owns a hot spring, so I knew hot water would help with my soreness a bit. I didn’t mean to make you worry about me. Really.”

“You don’t need to apologize, solnyshko. I should be taking care of you right now.”

Yuuri’s anger surged a little bit. He didn’t need anyone to take care of him. He’d been fine on his own the last 23 years. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm down. No need to antagonize the Alpha before they talked.

Victor shifted, stepping into the room and coming to lean over the tub. Yuuri immediately tenses, wary of the Alpha’s intentions as Victor’s pale hand dipped into the water. “I see, warm water and bath salts. Do you think it’ll help with my ankle?”

“Um…it should.” Yuuri didn’t sound very convincing, but Victor seemed to believe him. The Alpha sat down to begin to unwrap the support on his ankle revealing a red, bruised, and swollen appendage. The guilt returned full force as he barely noticed Victor removing his own clothes and returning to his side.

“Scoot up, solnyshko. Let me sit behind you.” Yuuri hesitated, not really sure he wanted Victor to sit behind him and steel feeling a bit embarrassed about the night before. “No need to be shy. You and I are mates now and we’ve already seen each other like this. Plus, you’re beautiful and I’m a lucky Alpha to have you as my mate.”

Yuuri turned his head away, surprised by the sudden praise. No one had ever called him beautiful the way Victor did. Sure he’d heard it before, but it always sounded fake or described a part of him. Victor’s sincerity caught him off guard and without thinking too much, he slid forward allowing the Alpha to step into the tub and sit behind him.

Arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him back against Victor’s chest and he didn’t know how much more of this he could take. Sure the Alpha was his mate now, but he felt like Victor was being way to familiar with him for practically being strangers. Yuuri felt a small bit of regret for not taking the time to really talk to Victor during his interview, but he couldn’t go back now and try to undo what’s been done now.

“Relax, Yuuri.” Victor murmured against his bond gland and a bit of heat curled in the Omega’s gut. Biting back a whimper, he closed his eyes and tried to will away any thought that would lead him to do something reckless and foolish. He didn’t want to go that direction…at least not until he and Victor had an honest conversation.

Victor’s presence did little to help him concentrate. The Alpha was potent and between his possessive caresses, the weight of his body against Yuuri’s back, and the warmth of his breath. Yuuri found he couldn’t remain calm. His body remained tense and coiled to move away. It wasn’t until Victor shifted and Yuuri could feel the press of a growing erection against his back that he found himself practically leaping out of Victor’s embrace, hastily climbing out of the tub.

“Yuuri, wait…where….?” Victor sounded confused and lost, but Yuuri didn’t wait for him to finish, grabbing a towel to wrap around his waist and hastily exited the bathroom. The ache still lingered a bit in his lower back, but in his panic, he needed space and prayed Victor would stay in the bath a bit longer so that he could at least calm down.

Yuuri hurried up and dried himself off finding his suitcase with his clothes inside. He changed into something comfortable…a pair of workout pants and a t-shirt. He decided to skip out on the contacts, pulling his glasses case out and putting on the blue framed specs. He knew it was better that Victor saw the real Yuuri than the pretty packaged Omega that he’d been presented as since his arrival…especially if they were going to actually talk.

Despite his nerves, this conversation couldn’t be held off any longer. The longer they waited to talk, the longer he’d feel on edge. When Victor didn’t come out of the bathroom right away, he gave in to a little bit of hope that he could gather his thoughts. Moving over to the window, he sat down and looked out to the garden below and the grounds past that. He had a clear sight to the woods he’d run in the day before even if all he saw was the tree line.

He tried not to let it affect his feelings and tried to channel it into what he wanted to say…what he wanted to ask… Yuuri didn’t know if he could live up to Victor’s expectations of him, but with so much unknown he didn’t want to give up hope either. The Omega brought his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them to keep them there as he rested his head on top. He stayed like that for a little while, until he heard a bit of shuffling and the sound of the knob on the bathroom door start to turn…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Victor felt utterly helpless watching his Omega run from him. He leaned back in the tub, throwing his arm over his face lamenting the loss a little bit and wondering where he went wrong.

While not the first time Yuuri ran from him, it didn’t hurt any less. They mated less than a day ago, and yet, he knew next to nothing about his skittish mate. One minute Yuuri surprised him with his boldness and with how beautiful and incredibly sexy the Omega was…the next he bolted as if afraid Victor would hurt him with words or strike him.

Maybe it would be good to give Yuuri some space while he allowed his foot to soak a little bit longer. Already he felt the ache lessening, though whether that was the heat of the water or the medicine kicking in, he couldn’t be sure.

They needed to stop avoiding talking and get everything out in the open between them. He felt like he should apologize to Yuuri, though he didn’t know exactly what he’d done wrong.

He didn’t know how much longer he sat there, lost in his thoughts when he decided he needed to get out. Grabbing a towel, he stepped out of the tub, careful of his ankle as he unplugged the tub to release the water. He dried off his injured ankle, redoing the makeshift brace and securing it like he’d been shown by the doctors before putting his clothes back on.

Taking a deep breath, he turned the knob and pushed open the door to the bathroom. His eyes immediately fell to the window where Yuuri sat. The Omega had dressed in comfortable clothes and despite his disheveled appearance still looked breathtakingly beautiful in Victor’s eyes.

Yuuri looked up and Victor noticed the addition of blue glasses framing his eyes and it nearly made him swoon. The Omega must have worn contacts when in public. They suited him nicely though Victor wold have to wait to tell him.

“Yuuri, I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It wasn’t my intention to do that.” Victor spoke, hoping Yuuri accepted his apology. The Omega didn’t move from his spot and Victor felt off balance by the silence. Taking a deep breath, he ran a hand through his hair before continuing. “We need to talk…really talk. We can’t keep avoiding this and feeling awkward. It’s something we should have done after we ate yesterday.”

Victor waited, nearly holding his breath as Yuuri shifted to sit on the edge of the bench. He met the Omega’s gaze, staring into those cinnamon colored eyes and seeing the fear. His heart lurched at the thought of Yuuri being afraid of him, but hopefully talking they could alleviate some of those fears.

“I think…we need to talk. I have questions that I need answers…I need to know what you expect from me, what I can and can’t do.” Yuuri’s voice came out a bit strained, almost tired. Victor didn’t like the words coming out of Yuuri’s mouth. He never wanted to be the kind of Alpha who completely controlled an Omega. That made them no more than slaves and Victor searched for someone who he could love. He thought he found that in Yuuri…but hearing those words…he wondered if he screwed up somewhere.

“Yuuri, can I come sit next to you. I just want to be close to you while we talk. I think we have the wrong ideas about each other and we need to get this sorted out.”

He waited until Yuuri nodded before actually moving to sit down. He noticed that the Omega kept as much distance as he could. Victor wished he could wrap the Omega up in his arms. He already knew Yuuri didn’t want his touch. If only he knew where to begin…

“Yuuri…I think you have the wrong idea about me. I came into this looking for a mate, yes, but I’m not really traditional when it comes to what I expect my Omega to do or how to act. I want to get to know you and learn about you…your strengths, weaknesses, everything. All I want is for you to be yourself around me.”

Victor looked at Yuuri as he spoke. He watched the shifting of emotions crossing Yuuri’s face. Fingers clenched the cushion on the bench and Yuuri didn’t seemed relieved at all.

“You can’t tell me that I can just walk around and do what I want. I don’t know the laws regarding Omegas in Russia, but if it’s anything like Japan, I have to defer to what you want…especially in public.”

Victor softened his gaze. “You’ll find that I don’t really care about what other’s think…and I travel a lot during my competitive season to places that allow Omegas a bit more freedom. I can’t promise that things won’t be difficult from time to time, but…I’d want us to figure this out together. After all, you chose me, so you had to have some faith that I meant what I said in our interview. You took a chance on me…and I want to be able to help you adjust to living with me…being my mate and everything that comes with that.”

Yuuri tense at his words. Victor wondered what the Omega must be thinking right now. He watched the Omega swallow hard as he finally turned to look at Victor.

“I didn’t choose you though. What makes you think that I did?”

Victor’s heart sank as he managed to get out. “At the starting line…you looked at me…acknowledged me…”

Yuuri’s eyes widened. Victor saw the gears turning in his head and immediately knew he screwed up. “That’s all it was. I knew you were there, watching me. It wasn’t anything more than that…at least it wasn’t to me.”

Any ideas that Victor had, shattered in that moment. Yuuri’s nod hadn’t meant anything, just an acknowledgment that Victor stood there. Victor thought it’d been some sort of sign of approval or permission…which meant Yuuri never wanted him, never wanted to be caught at all by anyone. It hurt because now he forced an Omega into a mating and marriage he didn’t want and now that they were bonded, it couldn’t be undone.

“I’m sorry, Yuuri.” Victor choked out. “I was so blinded by my own desires that I looked to deeply into that. If I had known…I wouldn’t have…”

He couldn’t say it. Saying it made it all to real and if he really did it against Yuuri’s wishes…he didn’t even want to begin thinking about what that meant. No wonder Yuuri had pulled away from him and didn’t return his affection. He meant nothing to the Omega and it hurt.

“Can you ever forgive me?” Victor’s sounded weak even to himself. How did this turn out so badly? This isn’t what he wanted.

“I joined the hunt because I wanted to help my family. We live in a small town and it hasn’t been doing well. More and more people have been moving away. Our hot spring inn is the last operating in the area and we’ve been struggling a lot more with everyone leaving the town looking for work. The quickest way to get money to help was to sign up for this. I knew that someone might catch me. I knew what it would mean, but I still didn’t want to get caught.” Yuuri admitted, sliding back against the window pain and bringing his knees back up.

“I meant what I said last night, Victor. You didn’t force me to do anything and I don’t want you to feel guilty about what happen, and you don’t have anything to apologize for. It’s me who hasn’t been fair, running because I’ve been afraid of what came next, but we’re bonded now. I’d like to at least know what to expect when we leave this mansion.”

Victor swallowed hard. Once again Yuuri acted like the brave one and now he knew the reason Yuuri joined in the first place. His Omega was brave and willing to move forward every step despite what Victor did. He’d feel guilty about it for a long time, regardless of what Yuuri said.

“I want to start over.” He blurted out, not really answering Yuuri’s question, but it gave him a moment to collect his thoughts. “I want to get to know you Yuuri. We’re still mated, but I want to see if we can make this work between him. I don’t want to change you or control you. I can’t change the fact that you’ll be expected to come to St. Petersburg while I train and I’d like you to travel with me when I compete, but I have enough room to give you your own space. We can learn about each other and I can do what I can to make your transition to living in Russia as easy as I can. We can work out the details once we get there.”

Yuuri finally looked up at him. He still seemed hesitant and Victor didn’t know what he could say to make it right. Locked in the room away from the rest of the world, he couldn’t do anything.

“I don’t have a very good track record with, Alphas. I’ve been burned before by suitors. Everything you’ve told me makes me want to hope, but I’ve been wrong so many times. I’ve been told I’m too plain, I gain weight too easily, and I’ve been treated like I was nothing. How do I know this isn’t an act, and the moment we walk out of here you won’t change?”

Victor felt a bit of anger rise up on Yuuri’s behalf. How dare some knot headed Alpha tell Yuuri he was anything else than beautiful and he planned on letting the Omega know that right now.

“First off, those Alphas were all blind. You’re beautiful, zvezda, and anyone who has told you otherwise or made you feel worthless are unworthy of any Omega.” Victor insisted. “As for your fears, I know there is nothing I can say to make you trust me, but I can only hope you’ll give me a chance. I understand that it will take some time for you to trust me and to unguard your heart, but I hope you’ll give me a chance to get to know you and once we’re out of this place, I can show you that I mean what I say. It won’t be easy, but I’m willing to work for it if you would give me a chance to do that.”

Victor held his breath, waiting for Yuuri’s response. If Yuuri didn’t want this, he’d still support him and hope for the best, but he’d be crushed. He had an afterthought about how much his performance would suffer in a few weeks, but he pushed it back unwilling to consider his career when his heart teetered on the edge of breaking entirely.

“I want this to work. I need it to work…for myself and my family. If you’re willing to show me, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Also, I want to go see my family. I know you said you have a competition schedule to keep, but I need to see them…to know that they got what they were supposed to and so they can see I’m all right.”

“I have to look at my skating schedule. I know Worlds is in Japan next spring, so worst case we can take a small break after and go see your family. I’ll try to see if we can squeeze in a visit before then, but my coach keeps me on a tight leash. I doubt he’ll want me to go to Japan where I can’t get any practicing in or he can’t keep an eye on me.”

Getting anything past Yakov would be difficult. His coach practically threw a fit that three of his top skaters were skipping a weeks worth of practices to participate in the hunt. He doubted the man would be so willing to let him run off to Japan until the season was over. At least after the GPF, he could persuade his coach to give him a week or so off. It’d be tight considering the Russian nationals were not long after the final, but he might be able to manage it. He didn’t want to disappoint Yuuri so he’d figure out a way to get it done.

“We’ll figure out a way, Yuuri. You can contact your family whenever you want and I’ll handle Yakov. I promise you’ll be able to see them soon.” Victor said, wishing he could give Yuuri a better idea of when he could see his family, but for now he’d make the most of what he could do and hoped it would be enough in Yuuri’s eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next couple of days were spent in each other’s company learning about each other. There were still awkward times and tense silences where neither of them knew what to say. They kept a bit of distance from each other now that things were out in the open between them. They really felt it at night, deciding to share the one bed in the room. Their bond demanded they get closer, but neither slept well trying to maintain distance between their bodies. Yuuri had the worst time, body wanting his Alpha to touch him, but he didn’t give in not wanting to make things more awkward for Victor.

He never thought that Victor would interpret his nod at the starting line as anything more than what it was. After being so flustered in the interview, he really didn’t remember much of what Victor said that night. True to his words though, Victor would ask him questions, everything from his favorite color to the places that he’d traveled to. Victor had been surprised to find out that Yuuri had been a dancer. The Omega flushed every time Victor praised him, called him beautiful, or an endearment slipped out. Secretly, it made his heart pound and he found that he genuinely wanted to get close to Victor.

At the end of their confinement, Yuuri began to believe that Victor seriously meant what he said. He didn’t think any Alpha would last that long trying to please and Omega. Victor slowly felt like a new found friend. Yuuri found he enjoyed his company…could listen to him talk about anything. Victor never treated him like someone insignificant. He didn’t belittle him or say anything to intentionally hurt him. He could be a bit direct at times, but he seemed to genuinely care.

It felt odd when an attendant came for him the final afternoon, explaining he’d be helping him get ready for the after party. Yuuri had forgotten all about his skin tight, revealing outfit, but didn’t want to lose face in front of Victor. Victor looked concerned as the attendant insisted, ushering Yuuri out of the room and down to where he’d be pampered and prepped to be shown off.

The attendant led Yuuri down the hall to where all the Omegas had been gathered. Yuuri barely caught Phichit’s gaze when they Omegas were all stripped down and forced into the tubs in the room. It happened so fast that they didn’t have time to be embarrassed. The attendants scrubbed them clean from head to toe before they were dried, wrapped up in simple robes and sat in front of mirrors for stylist to do hair and make up.

Yuuri felt grateful that they didn’t do much to him. The stylists always praised his unique features so they usually just put some shine of his lips, ditched his glasses for contacts, and slicked back his hair away from his face. After tonight it would be over. Tomorrow he’d be leaving with Victor and he didn’t have to deal with this anymore.

Once the stylist finished, Yuuri was lead to a room where his outfit hung and he cringed a bit. It looked just as he remembered, skin tight with mesh panels and all. It was a one piece ensemble, black in color which went well with his skin tone. The pant part was solid, form fitting over the curves of his ass with little asymmetrical pieces going up the outside of the pant legs. That Yuuri didn’t mind so much, but the top half he knew was too much. The back of the top was almost completely open in a deep v shape leaving his skin completely exposed. The front was a solid piece until just below his shoulders with those embellishments coming up in a random pattern on one side. Mesh panels ran up the side of the outfit, and from his shoulders to his wrists where it turned solid again to cover the top of his hand with a small loop to fit over his middle finger.

His bond gland would be on display for everyone to see and Yuuri, who didn’t wear anything to really expose himself felt like he might as well be naked. Still, in this place he didn’t have an option and so he mustered what courage he had left as he was put into the outfit. It fit him perfectly, hugging his curves in all the right ways though he’d never be able to sit in it without risking busting a seem. The attendants helped him put on black shocks and shoes to complete the outfit. Finally he was given a little half cape that rested on his shoulders. The outside was black with a red velvet inlay that covered his shoulders. They expected him to remove it at the party, but it was a part of the outfit to keep the chill out until then. Yuuri clenched the opening of the cape with his fingers, grateful he didn’t have to parade around in just the outfit for a little while longer.

They lead him back to a room where the other Omegas waited. Yuuri saw that everyone managed to get captured by and Alpha when he stepped into the room and he didn’t feel so alone in all this. Phichit managed to wait until the door clicked shut before practically launching himself at Yuuri to hug him.

“I’ve been so worried about you after everything that happened. Chris tried to reassure me, but I couldn’t help it. Are you all right? Is Victor treating you okay?”

“I’m fine, Phichit. And Victor has been great.” Yuuri cringed at how fake he sounded despite it being the truth. Phichit heard it too as he lead Yuuri over to a corner and away from the prying eyes of the others. Yuuri could feel them watch for a moment before they went back to doing their own thing. It wouldn’t be long and they’d be reunited with the Alphas.

“You don’t have to pretend that you’re all right. I can tell you’re still not happy. Has Victor…done something?”

Yuuri shook his head. “No. And I don’t know why that came out like it did. My nerves I guess. Victor really has been great, but…” Yuuri took a deep breath and told him about the conversation he and Victor had after their first night together. The Thai Omega listened waited for Yuuri to stop speaking before saying anything.

“I can’t believe he thought you were telling him it was okay for him to hunt you, but from the sounds of things, he doesn’t seem so bad. Chris has mostly positive things to say about him as they’re best friends. He did say he’s a bit forgetful, whimsical, and sometimes a bit callous with his words, but that he’s been unhappy for a long time…lonely and looking for someone who saw the real him, not the mask he puts on in front of the cameras or on the ice.” Phichit paused, thinking for a moment before continuing.

“I think you should give him that chance Yuuri. I think that at least you might be good for him. Just be honest with him, especially if he does something that upsets you. It’s gonna take some time for the two of you to get on the same page and he doesn’t want to hurt you, but if this is anything to go by, he might end up doing it and not realize it. Try talking to him. Who knows, you two might fall in love.”

Yuuri shook his head. “I don’t think that’ll happen. I’ll have a panic attack and he’ll realize he got in over his head and ship me back to Japan. At least he promised me that I could see my family after this. As long as I know they got the money, it’ll be worth it.”

Phichit put a hand on each of Yuuri’s shoulders. “Don’t sell yourself short Yuuri. If what I saw in the woods was any sort of clue, that Alpha is smitten with you. He’ll have his work cut out for him, but you’ll see. Just promise me if you need advice, you’ll keep in touch.”

Phichit pulled away to pull out a card. It had his contact information on it for Yuuri with a funny little drawing of himself. It made Yuuri laugh a little and Phichit smiled. “There, you don’t look so down anymore. The attendants should be back any minute to get us to line up and take us down to greet our Alphas. Let’s go dazzle Chris and Victor so hard they come in their suit pants.

Phichit laughed as Yuuri’s face turned bright red. He didn’t want to think about that right now, but Phichit looked pleased. “And now you’ve got some color in your face. Your Alpha isn’t going to be able to look away.”

Yuuri wanted to tell Phichit to stop, but just like he guessed, they were ordered to line up in a specific order. Yuuri stood right behind Phichit as they were lead down the hall and down to the first floor. The Alphas stood in a line in the foyer at the bottom of the stairs. The talked until they noticed the Omegas on the stairs. All eyes turned to the line and the Alphas seemed to narrow in on their Omega.

Victor stood out to Yuuri. His silver hair stood out among the sea of dark and he looked sharp in a black suit with a blue tie that complimented his eyes. He looked incredibly handsome and he seemed to be gaping at the sight of Yuuri. He didn’t realize it himself until Chris put a couple of fingers under his chin and tipped his mouth closed causing the Russian Alpha to snap out of his staring as Yuuri reached the bottom. The Omegas headed straight to their Alphas and Yuuri felt shy approaching Victor.

An attendant came up to remove Yuuri’s cloak and Victor’s jaw dropped again as his eyes raked over Yuuri’s outfit. The Omega felt embarrassed as Victor’s eyes snapped up to Yuuri’s and seemed to notice how awkward Yuuri felt. He stepped in closer, to pull Yuuri close and immediately he felt safe. It was the first time they’d touched in days and Yuuri felt grateful for it.

“I know things are still strange between us.” Victor murmured in his ear. “But for tonight, we need to show the organizers that we’re satisfied with each other. It might be oppressing, but for tonight let’s try to make the most of it. Stay by my side and we’ll be fine. Maybe we can leave early if it gets to be too much. Just let me know.”

Yuuri nodded, afraid to speak. Victor kept a comforting hand on his back. Yuuri was grateful he didn’t have to do this alone and had Victor on his side. The doors to the banquet hall opened and the pairs began to go in. When it came time for them to go in, Victor leaned in one more time. “And before I forget, you look beautiful tonight, Zvezda. I feel like the luckiest Alpha in the world with you by my side, tonight Let’s try to enjoy ourselves a little bit, okay?”

Yuuri took a deep breath. He could do this…had to for both their sakes. They stepped into the room and it had been set up nicely. Most of the seats lined the wall creating a large space in the center of the room for them to mingle. A buffet table had been set up with light food and drinks. A loud applause filled the room as the pairs entered, congratulations from sponsors and coordinators of the event. Yuuri hated the spotlight, but Victor seemed relaxed and that helped him to stay calm while the attention was turned on them.

The party began in earnest, Victor took the lead, speaking to the sponsors as they came up to personally congratulate them. He remained eloquent and friendly, excusing themselves and moving away for a break when Yuuri tensed up. Eventually, they made it to a corner and Victor handed Yuuri some water, using his body to shield the Omega from prying eyes.

“You’ve been quiet all night. How are you holding up?” He asked, eyes pleading for Yuuri to answer him.

“I’m doing all right. I never really liked being the center of attention and I don’t like my outfit, but I feel more at ease with you here. I’m sorry you’ve been doing most of the talking for the both of us.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for. I’ve been doing this for a long time with skating sponsors and the paparazzi since I started skating as a child. I don’t mind if you’re uncomfortable. We can do another round as I’d like to introduce you to some of my friends who are here. You’ll be seeing a lot more of them since we all skate. It would be good for you to meet them here in case they come by. Yakov likes to send them to get me or they come on their own to check on me from time to time just to make sure I’m alright since I live alone and I have a penchant for making Yakov tear his hair out. I don’t know how busy they’ll be with their new mates, but better for you to get to know them. You’ll see a lot of familiar faces from competition to competition…”

Victor rambled on a bit as he led Yuuri over to where the others were socializing. He met so many people his head spun. He found out that Georgi and Milla were his rink mates and both greeted Yuuri with open arms. Georgi’s mate was Anya who sneered at him, clearly frustrated by her own results of the Hunt. Sara, who’d been caught by Milla, remained delighted, hanging off the red head’s arm in her dark blue dress looking happier than Yuuri had seen her since they arrived.

They moved on to see JJ and Isabella chatting with Otabek. Otabek’s mate, the other Yuuri, sulked in the corner clearly tired of everything and pissed as usual. He refused to come socialize with a ‘carefree idiot and his pig of an Omega.’ Yuuri cringed and Otabek apologized on Yuri’s behalf saying that the young Omega is having a tough time with more than just the hunt. He promised Yuuri he’d talk to his mate and hopefully the next time they met, the teen wouldn’t come off so prickly.

JJ and Isabella seemed at ease with the drama behind them, though JJ didn’t come off as arrogant as he seemed to from the start. They wished Yuuri and Victor well as JJ promised to give Victor a challenge in the coming season after wishing them luck.

Leo sat away from the crowd with Guang Hong blushing furiously in his lap. They both seemed pleased with their bonding as Leo’s open affection and Guang Hong’s shy but pleased smile made them seem like the happiest pair in the room.

Emil and Michelle were talking to a sponsor, the Alpha keeping a hand around the Omega’s waist. The other Crispino twin kept eyeballing his sister, silently seething, but no longer able to do anything about it. He almost stomped away from his new mate to go over to his sister, but Emil’s quick reflexes only pulled the man back into his arms as he spoke low in his Omega’s ear. It seemed like he’d be like that for a while, and Yuuri didn’t want to disturb them.

Finally they ran into Chris and Phichit. They seemed at ease with each other, Phichit joking with the Swiss Alpha while Chris made a few suggestive remarks back. Both seemed to not care about the other’s teasing, bantering back and forth. Phichit became the only Omega Yuuri wished well and Phichit did the same to Yuuri, reminding him to try and be happy. Chris teased Victor about getting the Omega with the best booty causing Yuuri to flush a bit. Victor agreed lightheartedly and told the Swiss Alpha they should catch up again soon before they left the odd couple to their own devices.

By the time they finished their rounds, the organizers called them to attention. Their final task of the Hunt came down to signing their certificates of mating and marriage before retiring for the night. One by one, each pairing went up, some more eager than others to sign the paperwork. It went as smoothly as it possibly could be with how many disgruntled Omegas there were. Yuuri and Victor waited until the end to go up and sign theirs.

Victor signed the document first, his name written in beautiful penmanship on the certificate as he handed the pen to Yuuri. His hand shook as he signed his own name once again appreciating the gentle hand on his back as he set the pen down and they stepped off the raised platform. They were done with the formalities as the organizers would take care of the rest.

Yuuri felt tired all through his body when they returned to their room. The weight of everything crashing upon him again. Victor came up behind him, wrapping Yuuri up in his arms and holding him close. He could feel the beating of Victor’s heart under his clothes as the Alpha rested his chin on Yuuri’s head.

“Thank you for tonight, Yuuri. I know it was hard for you, but you’re so much stronger than you know.”

“It wasn’t all bad. I enjoyed seeing some of the couples winding up happy…especially Phichit and Chris.”

Victor hummed. “Yes, those two should wind up happy. I was worried Chris wouldn’t find someone to tolerate his humor. I’m glad your friend is just as witty. They’ll make a fearsome pair when they really get to know each other.”

Yuuri agreed and Victor let him go. Blue eyes looked into his and Yuuri felt a jolt between them.

“I know this is selfish of me to ask, but do you think for tonight, you’d be willing to let me hold you. I think my instincts are going a bit haywire and I’d sleep a bit better knowing you were close beside me. We have a bit of traveling to do tomorrow and we should both get some rest, so I’d understand if you don’t…” He trailed off.

Yuuri bit his lip, nodding as he watched Victor’s face shift to pure joy. “I haven’t been sleeping that great these last couple of nights. I think it might be a good idea to at least try. I want to try to meet you half way…if you’re willing to give me space when I need it.”

“Of course, Yuuri. Only ask and I’ll do my best to make sure you’re comfortable.” Victor sounded relieved. “Do you want to get a shower or do you want to just go to bed and get one in the morning?”

This time he shook his head, then flushing as a thought hit him. “I’m too tired…but I…I might need help getting out of this. It’s a bit form fitting.”

“Of course, zvezda moya. I’ll help you a bit and then we can just go to sleep. Turn around for me.”

Yuuri did as Victor requested, feeling fingers slide under the hem of his top. Victor helped slide the top off of him as Yuuri kicked off his shoes. The skin tight garment gave way and once his top half was exposed, Victor stepped away. “I’m going to go into the bathroom to wash my face and you can get changed in private. I’ll be out in a few moments.”

Once the door to the bathroom clicked closed, he stripped the rest of the outfit off, draping it on a chair as he dressed in a pair of boxers and one of his old college t-shirts. Victor came out a few minutes later in his own t-shirt and underwear allowing Yuuri to go into the bathroom and complete his nightly ritual.

When he returned, Victor already sat in the bed, covers pulled down for Yuuri to enter. Hesitating for only a moment, he climbed in, sliding to the center of the bed, rolling so that his back faced Victor. The Alpha shifted, spooning him as arms pulled him close and he heard Victor inhale their combined scents before they both relaxed.

It felt right, safe and comforting, being in Victor’s embrace. Yuuri felt sleep call to him as he shifted slightly allowing his body to press against the warmth of the body behind him. Before he fully drifted off, a warm voice spoke to him, giving him one last comforting thought.

“Good night, Yuuri. May you find comfort in your dreams and I hope you dream of a future where we can be happy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now everything is out in the open and they're trying. They still have a ways to go to get to the point where they're comfortable with each other, but it's a start. Sorry if it got a bit rambly, but I wanted to show who ended up with who. Did it turn out how you thought? Are you excited? Disappointed? Please leave comments and kudos and let me know. Even if it's a simple 'I liked it'. It means a lot to me and fuels me to continue.
> 
> Please follow me and feel free to reach out to me on Tumblr. I don't look all that active, but I'm on Tumblr just about every day, so I will see it and get back to you as soon as I can. Also if something happens. It'll be one of the first places I'll post why something got delayed or what's going on.
> 
> Come follow me on tumblr [Here](http://midnightjournalist.tumblr.com/)  
> Also decided to start a Discord channel if you would like to come discuss my work with me and other readers. I've already been doing some word building and I share previews live as I write them. I only ask that if you come in, you abide by the rules and make an effort to be a little active. It would be great for me to meet and talk to those who enjoy reading my stuff...just follow the link below. 
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> Not on Discord yet...it's free to download on your computer or on a mobile app or you can open it up on their webpage if that works better for you. It's just starting out, so don't worry if it's a bit small. I'll still interact even if only a few people are interested. Just pop in and say hi so I know you're there and I try to interact when I'm not at work or in the middle of doing something.
> 
> Come join me on Discord: [Here](https://discord.gg/9bu7RA2/)  
> 


	7. Lesson 7: You Need to Remain Open to Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri and Victor arrive in St. Petersburg and they realize they still have some things they want to work towards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long absence from this story. I'll explain more about what's been going on in my note below...but I'm hoping you enjoy the new chapter now that I'm back. It's a bit of a filler chapter, but things will start to change for these two from here on out. I did do a quick edit, but forgive my mistakes. Hope you all enjoy!

Yuuri stepped out of the car, watching Victor pout a bit as he came around the vehicle. Their chauffeur went to the trunk, opening it up and catching Victor’s attention to find out a plan to get their bags into the building.

It gave Yuuri an opportunity to look up at the building they stood in front of. It sat in the heart of St. Petersburg…tall and, according to Victor, new and extremely private. He never went into more details, telling Yuuri that he’d just have to wait until he saw it for himself.

“Yuuri, as much as I’d like to, I can’t carry all of these bags myself.” Victor spoke and Yuuri took a deep breath.

“I’m coming. I can get my bags if you can get yours.”

Victor agreed and Yuuri went over to grab his two bags and took some pity on the Alpha, grabbing one of his five bags too. Victor seemed a bit grateful as he led the way into the building and over to the elevator. He punched a code into the panel and up they went, both feeling too awkward and nervous to speak to each other right in that moment. They might have agreed to give each other the benefit of the doubt…to try to become friends, but every time they took a step forward in one direction, it seemed that they took a step back in another. Yuuri just focused on remembering to breathe, trying not to think about what Victor’s apartment might look like or if the Alpha would change being in a more comfortable setting.

Yuuri wanted to believe the best of Victor. He didn’t want to think of the possibilities of the man changing in his own home especially with how careful and remorseful the Alpha seemed after everything had been said and done. Swallowing hard, he reminded himself that he promised he’d give Victor the same courtesy and try not to think of the worst…at least not trying to let his thoughts rule and betray that promise.

The duo stepped off the elevator, Victor leading the way as they made it down the hall to a pair of doors. Victor stood in front of the one on the left and began to unlock the door with his keys, nearly dropping them when the bags shifted. Yuuri wanted to laugh at the frustrated pout that took over Victor’s face, but held back, not wanting to embarrass either of them.

“Well, this is it. My home…I mean…feel free to make it your home too, Yuuri. I want you to be comfortable here.”

He pushed open the door and gestured for Yuuri to enter first. The Omega did a bit timidly, not sure what to expect from the home of a famous figure skater. He kicked off his shoes in the small foyer, sliding them with his foot to the side, following his own culture naturally about not wearing shoes in the house. He stepped onto the plush carpet and into the main room.

The apartment looked spacious and simple Yuuri could see a blue couch with a matching ottoman first caught his attention. Behind that, the walls were lined with bookshelves filled floor to ceiling with books. A large table with stools sat behind the couch before a large floor to ceiling window and door with blue drapes covering it finished the room. The room was large with high ceilings, but beyond the books scattered about, it looked a bit lacking in the personal items department.

Stepping deeper, Yuuri could see a large pristine kitchen with all the state of the art appliances and a beautiful island in the middle for him to work on. He could see into the kitchen through a cut out of the wall and more stools set up made it a bit more informal dining option. Yuuri enjoyed cooking, but didn’t have a lot of time for it before. He saw a brief glimpse of himself working in that kitchen…especially if he was going to be spending a lot of time here without anything to do.

Beyond that, he could see the hallway that led to the rest of the apartment, but he dare not go further in without being invited. Especially if it led to Victor’s bedroom or any other private space.

“You can make changes to make yourself more comfortable. When we go to Japan and get your personal things, we can make room for anything you want to put in here. The kitchen is free to use whenever. I have a delivery service I call and they bring me the items on my list. I usually don’t have much time to cook, but I can make simple things and my favorites if you’d like to try them sometimes. Naturally, I don’t expect you to cook unless you want to. I eat out more often than not because it’s more convenient, but if you need anything, we can always go get it. Come, let me show you the rest of the house.” Victor rambled, trying not to sound awkward and failing a bit. “You can bring your bags with you. I can make some space so we can figure out where to put everything.”

The rest of the apartment consisted of four more rooms. One was obviously Victor’s bedroom. The rich variations of blue filled the room with the curtains and the comforters. Clothing and personal items lay haphazardly and the walk in closet left open for Yuuri to catch a glimpse of the room before Victor shut it in embarrassment, his cheeks pink. “I will have to clean that up. Chris came over to help me pack and I didn’t realize we left such a mess.”

“It’s fine.” Yuuri responded, feeling a bit relieved that at least the bedroom looked a little more lived in. He’d gotten a glimpse of a less than perfect view of his mate and it somehow made Victor seem a bit more human and down to Earth than the pristine Alpha every seemed accustomed to. “I can be a bit messy when I’m in a hurry, so I get it.”

Victor smiled softly, relaxing a bit. Yuuri hadn’t seen how tense he’d been until he watched the shift in his body language. Yuuri had already made his decision to try to meet Victor half way if he could. He knew things wouldn’t be easy, but the Alpha had been trying not to offend Yuuri. It struck the Omega as odd, but at the same time he felt grateful that his Alpha wasn’t pushing him to do more than necessary.

“I hadn’t planned on what happened, so I didn’t make separate sleeping arrangements for us. I can look into getting a separate bed for you. I had planned on giving you the room next to mine to do whatever you want with, but we might need to turn it into a separate bedroom now.” He rubbed the back of his head…looking a little sheepish.

“No, you don’t have to do that.” Yuuri spoke up, trying not to lose his nerves as continued. “I…I’m still not sure about what I want, but you’re my mate. I meant it when I said I want this to work…and that I’d try. Besides, we shared a bed at the mansion. This can be a first step for the both of us.”

Victor’s answering smile was worth the nerves it took to say those words. His heart shaped smile warmed Yuuri’s heart and he couldn’t help but feel like maybe they might be able to make this work.

“I promise you won’t regret this, Yuuri. As much as your promising to meet me half way, I promise to do everything I can to make you happy.”

Yuuri watched as Victor quickly moved around the room, picking up his things, even moving stuff to make some room for his things. The awkward air between them seemed to vanish with Victor’s upbeat attitude.

“I’m done. I’ll give you a little bit to put your stuff away. When you finish, we can get some lunch and I should go get Makkachin from Yakov. I’m sure she’s tired of being cooped up with him. She’ll love you, I’m sure of it.”

It was if a whirlwind swept through the room and left as soon as it came. Victor left with a click of the door and left Yuuri to silence. He exhaled a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. In the end he took his time to try to find a place for his things.

He didn’t have too much of anything right now. Most of his stuff he shipped from his apartment and back home to Japan. He hadn’t been allowed to bring too much with him to the mansion and even some of what he had brought had been replaced. He didn’t want to think about the his new wardrobe and half of it was staying in his suitcase for the time being.

He hadn’t even been allowed to bring his phone or anything electronic with them. None of the Omegas had. It was to separate them from their family and friends…have them rely on their Alphas. Maybe he could ask Victor if he could call his family, at least. He promised them he’d call as soon as he was able to, though he didn’t know when that was. Some Alphas made their Omega’s wait until their bond was more secure before contacting family.

It felt strange to be here, to be mated, to taking the first steps at trying to make this his home. He promised Victor he’d try, but he was struggling with figuring out ways to show the man that he meant his promise. Everything felt wrong to him and the anxious part of him wondered if he could really do this. He didn’t want to rely on his mate

Taking a deep breath he decided he need a bit more time to clear his head. After several hours on the plane and then the taxi, he felt grimy and exhausted. His family’s hot spring would normally do the trick, but he’d settle for a shower. Yuuri managed to find a clean set of comfortable clothes and his personal hygiene stuff, stepping into the bathroom and freezing.

The bathroom was huge with a large bath tub and a state of the art shower. There was a plush double sink counter that looked like marble. The mirror was large giving Yuuri a good look at what he looked like after traveling. He looked like a mess.

Taking another deep breath, he tried not to think as he found a couple of towels and stripping down, setting his glasses on the counter and his things inside the shower before tackling the controls. It was new and high tech, but he managed to figure it out getting the water to the right temperature before stepping inside.

The hot water felt heavenly on his body as he washed away the dirt and grime from traveling and starting to take a moment to relax and try very hard not to think about what awaited for him when he walked out to meet up with Victor again.

He really hoped Victor was willing to talk…at least lay down some basic expectations for him. The Alpha said time and time again that he really didn’t have any for Yuuri, but that couldn’t be the case. He’d traveled to Russia while he danced. They were not kind to Omegas and their legislation was worse than Japan when it came to Omega rights. Victor seemed to want to treat Yuuri as an equal, something they could get away in his home, but not out in public. At the very least, everyone else in Russia would have expectations for him, and he couldn’t just avoid it forever.

Finishing up in the shower, he dried himself off, and dressed in his comfortable clothes. He stepped back out into the bedroom just as Victor stepped back into the room too. Yuuri startled a little bit, not expecting the Alpha to come in. Victor’s gaze softened.

“I didn’t mean to startle you, zvezda. I was coming to check on you. I ordered us some food and Yakov called. He’s actually coming over with some sponsorship paperwork for me and is dropping Makkachin off. He won’t stay for long, but he thought it might be easier on you if you met him here and weren’t exposed to too many new places tonight. We’ll be going out tomorrow and I want to make sure you get some rest after everything that’s happened.”

 

“That’s fine.” Yuuri agreed. It sounded very considerate of them to think of that. If he was being honest, he already felt overwhelmed and nervous about meeting Victor’s coach. With his nerves, it might be better to do it here. At least he had a little chance to settle in, even if he still felt like a stranger here.

 

“Food should be here soon. I don’t know what you might like, so a got a few things for you to try. I hope you like it.” Victor looked hopeful. Yuuri couldn’t help, but offer back a small smile.

 

“I can’t wait to try it.” Yuuri responded, genuinely curious about Russian food. He’d have to watch it a little bit since he gained weight easily. Just something else to worry about when he was stressed out enough…though he didn’t even know if he’d ever seen anything like it.

 

Victor gestured for Yuuri to follow him back out into the main room. Yuuri followed willingly needing to figure out a way to say what he want to say. Victor moved comfortably in his own space and Yuuri watched as he pulled a couple of drinks out of the fridge, handing one to Yuuri and the Omega decided to take a chance.

 

“Hey Victor, we need to talk.”

 

The Alpha looked surprised. “Is something wrong? Is there something here that upsets you? You can make changes to whatever you want.”

 

Yuuri shook his head. “No, your home is great. That’s not it at all.”

 

Victor looked confused. Of course he wasn’t thinking about something like this. Alpha’s were praised here where Omega’s were expected to stay at home, look pretty, and pop out babies. Yuuri never did keep to those rules, but he’d gone to study dance in the US where Omegas had more freedom to follow their dreams and goals. Victor made it apparent he didn’t think like that, but the reality turned out to be something different entirely.

 

“I wanted to know what you expect from me…while we’re out in public. I need to know how you expect me to act, especially when I have to go out without you.”

 

Yuuri couldn’t look Victor in the eye when he spoke. He felt a little embarrassed even asking, but he needed to know. Until Victor told him, his anxiety would eat away at him every time he need to go out.

 

Gentle fingers tipped his head up to meet a clear blue gaze. Victor’s eyes looked sad as they gazed into Yuuri’s. The Omega felt shy under that gaze, biting at his own bottom lip. Plus, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, Victor was gorgeous and Yuuri couldn’t help the flush that crossed his face.

 

“Right now, I don’t want you to go out without me. Once you know you’re way around St. Petersburg a bit better and have a chance to learn a little bit more Russian so you can find your way around then I won’t mind so much.” Victor said, sounding genuinely concerned for his well being. “And I don’t want you to act any different. I want you to feel comfortable just being yourself. I know that there are some Alphas look down on Omegas, but that’s no reason for you to act any different. You are my mate now and anyone who has any issues with our relationship can deal with me. It’s none of their business what we do or how we act.”

 

It sounded logical, but Victor wouldn’t always be there to defend him. It worried him, but before he could open his mouth to voice his concern, Victor continued.

 

“I know that I can’t protect you from everyone and I know that it’s an obnoxious Alpha thing to do, but it’s my fault that you’re here. Will you let me take care of you a bit?”

 

Yuuri felt his cheeks burn even harder at the request. Slowly he nodded, turning his eyes downcast, unable to hold Victor’s gaze any longer. Victor’s touch lingered a moment longer, but he pulled away at the sound of knocking at the door. Yuuri took a moment to compose himself as Victor opened the door and a giant fluffy ball squeezed passed the Alpha making a straight line for Yuuri.

 

Makkachin stopped, started at the Omega for a moment, before leaping, knocking the Omega to the floor. Victor shouted something in Russian, but the poodle just continued to wag her tail, licking Yuuri’s chin as his fingers found the soft fir. Fixing his glasses, he really couldn’t be mad at the dog as Victor came over and pulled her off of Victor, scolding her in soft Russian. She whined and sat, tail still thumping on the floor and Victor just shook his head as he reached to help Yuuri to his feet.

 

“Sorry about that, Yuuri. She gets a little excitable, but I never expected her to knock you over.”

 

“It’s okay. She probably didn’t mean to do it. Just caught me by surprised.”

 

Once again, Victor’s touch on his hand lingered, but it was the man in the doorway, clearing his throat, that seemed to cause Victor to pull away.

 

“Vitya, are you going to be more distracted now that you have a mate? I allowed you to go to have you more focused, not the other way around.” The older man asked, holding an envelope in his hand as he stepped into the apartment. He spoke in English so Yuuri could understand him, but the accent curled thickly around the words.

 

“I don’t know why me being distracted surprises you, Yakov. As long as you’ve known me, you’ve seen me at my best and my worst, so this should be nothing.” Victor teased. “But as far as introductions go…Yuuri, this is Makkachin and my coach, Yakov Feltsman. Yakov, this is my mate Yuuri.”

 

The older man nodded and Yuuri could tell from how he held himself, he was an Alpha. Yuuri averted his eyes again out of habit, but Victor caught it, tipping his head to look up at him.

 

“You never have to avert your eyes to anyone. You’ve accomplished too much to ever look away.” Victor spoke low, his voice warm. “And especially not to anyone close to me. Yakov is a bit old fashioned, but he respects Omegas. His ex-wife taught him well.”

 

“Victor.” Yakov warned. “Don’t talk about me as if I’m not here.”

 

Victor switched to Russian to the point where Yuuri couldn’t understand him, but from the look on Yakov’s face, it didn’t look like Victor was saying anything nice despite his grin and polite tone. In the end, Yakov shook his head and muttered something under his breath.

 

“You’ve gotten yourself a handful of a mate, Yuuri.” Yakov switched, back to English. “I hope that you can tame his spirit and help him to focus a bit more.”

 

“So cruel…” Victor murmured, not sounding very upset despite his choice of words.

Yakov huffed. “It’s true and you know it. Regardless, of anything, you are welcome to come watch Victor practice any time as long as you’re not too much of a distraction and if you need anything or have any trouble with your mate, feel free to come to me or anyone in the rink. We’ll knock some sense into this reckless fool.”

 

“Thank you. If I need anything, I will let you know.” Yuuri nodded grateful for Yakov’s offer. He never thought he’d be able to approach the man with a request, but he appreciated the offer and felt like the older man was being genuinely sincere.

 

Yakov nodded, turning back to Victor. “I’m not going to take up too much more of your time tonight. I’m going to leave this paperwork with you. I need it by tomorrow, so swing by the rink and drop it off as soon as possible. Don’t put it off or you won’t have enough sponsorship for the upcoming season and don’t just sign everything. I need you to really think about who you want to sign on with. We don’t want a repeat of two years ago where you fell asleep in the locker room at the Grand Prix final because you took on too much. I’m giving you a few days to get settled like you asked. The least you can do is take care of this for me.”

 

“All right, I promise I’ll stop by the rink and give them to you. I wanted to give Yuuri a small tour of the important places. The rink would be one of those and I can introduce him to the staff and get him a pass to the rink.”

 

“I’ll hold you to that then. Enjoy the rest of your evening with your mate and I will see you tomorrow.”

 

Victor walked Yakov out, stepping out to talk to the man, and Yuuri breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the older man. His gruff demeanor was a little unsettling, but if that’s how the man was, then he needed to get used to it and make an effort to stay on the man’s good side at least.

 

Makkachin shifted to sit next to him. Yuuri petted the poodle’s fur for a few moments, letting it relax him. Victor stepped back inside, running a hand through his hair, seeming a little stressed, but he managed to find a smile for Yuuri. He held up a bag with food inside.

 

“Food arrived while I was talking with Yakov. We should eat it while it’s hot…da?”

 

“Sure.”

 

Yuuri followed Victor into the kitchen. The Alpha insisted he sit while he put food on two plates, making sure that Yuuri get a little bit of everything to try.

 

Dinner felt a little awkward after the encounter with Yakov and Yuuri just felt exhausted. Victor chatted away, asking how Yuuri like the food. Yuuri did like it, though it was different from what he had before. It was the closest thing to comfort food that he could get, but it made him miss katsudon and home.

 

He had to keep reminding himself he’d be able to go back there and that he’d keep Victor to his word. As it stood, he’d have a lot to keep him preoccupied in the coming weeks. Already, Victor planned to introduce him to a language tutor to help him learn Russian and he’d be spending a lot of time in his new home or traveling with his Alpha.

 

“Yuuri,” Victor’s called his name sounding concerned. Yuuri realized he’d been calling his name and Yuuri hadn’t been paying attention. Feeling his face pale a bit, he swallowed giving Victor his attention.

 

“Sorry, I was thinking about home and got distracted.” He admitted, hoping Victor wouldn’t get to upset with him for not paying attention. Instead the man looked sad at the words, tentatively reaching out to cover Yuuri’s hand.

 

“I know you’ve already gone through a lot. I wish I could take you home sooner, but I can’t. I’m working on getting you a phone at least so you can talk to your family in the mean time.” He paused. “I meant it Yuuri. I want to make you happy here and I want my home to become yours. If there’s anything I can do for you to help, all you have to do is ask.”

 

Yuuri thought about it for a moment. There was one thing he wanted, besides having access to his family, but he didn’t know how Victor would feel about it. Stealing his nerves, he decided to just ask and get it over with.

 

“I want to continue dancing. I can’t just sit here locked away at home. I need something to keep me busy or my anxiety might get the better of me. I don’t even know if there’s a studio nearby that will take me, but…it’s what I’ve done for so long. I don’t want to stop.”

 

His eyes met Victor and saw how relieved he looked. His thoughts turned contemplative and he tapped his fingers against his lips as they thinned a bit.

“I might be able to arrange that. Yakov’s ex-wife is a former Prima of the Bolshoi Ballet. I know she has a private studio in her home. She’s stern and demands perfection, but if you’re already and establish dancer and she likes what she sees, she might be willing to take you on or at the very least give you access to her studio. I’ll talk to Yakov…they may not have worked out as a pair, but they maintain a professional relationship. I can at least get her contact information and see if she’d be interested in giving you an audition at the very least. She doesn’t like me…I was a bad student and never did what she asked of me…but she has a soft spot for other Omegas and I would feel better about you practicing in a private home than a public studio.”

 

Yuuri felt a bit of relief. Victor wasn’t opposed to the idea of letting him continue to dance. He had a few audition pieces that he could use, granted he’d feel nervous the entire time. Getting the support of a former Prima tough, it could reopen doors for him to dance in the future and to have access to a private studio would be a dream come true.

 

“Thank you, Victor. I means a lot to me.”

 

The Alpha’s smile nearly blinded him. Victor went from one emotion to another, but every time they met in the middle and could compromise and come up with a solution, he’d light up like Yuuri made him the happiest man in the world.

 

By the time they finished eating, Yuuri felt like he could fall asleep in that moment. Between traveling and being mentally overwhelmed with his nerves and everything he experienced today he’d wanted to sleep, but he also didn’t want to ignore Victor at all. The Alpha worked on the paperwork his coach gave him, but noticed when Yuuri started to nod off.

 

“Solnyshko, you don’t have to wait here for me to finish. If you’re tired, go get some rest. I’m not tired yet and I need to finish this if I want to get Lilia’s contact information from Yakov. Plus we’ll be busy tomorrow and I want you to be awake and have a good time. Take Makkachin with you…she’s the greatest at cuddling to get to sleep and I’ll come to bed in a bit.”

 

He felt the tender brush of Victor’s lips against his forehead…a lover’s gesture that strangely made his chest ache. Feeling too tired to argue and too exhausted to stress about the implications of sharing a bed with his mate again, he made his way to the bedroom, Makkachin close behind him, not needing to be called and already comfortable enough with Yuuri to follow him.

 

Yuuri prepared himself for bed, going through his nightly routine on autopilot. It didn’t take long and before he knew it he climbed into the bed reveling in the soft sheets against his skin. Setting his glasses on the nightstand, he switched off the light, plunging the room into darkness. He began to drift to sleep, barely aware as Makkachin joined him on the bed. As he dozed he dreamed, of being happy…of Victor and him falling in love. He felt the lingering brush of Victor’s lips on his face and fingers stroking through his hair as he drifted, feeling safe for the first time in days.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Victor loved watching Yuuri sleep. The man seemed so much more relaxed, free of the stress and worry that threatened to drown him while he remained awake. He could feel a bit of Yuuri’s sadness through their bond, his anxiety. Yuuri still blocked a lot of how he felt from him, but sometimes he could feel it.

 

Victor wanted to take it all away from him. More, he wanted Yuuri to love him, but he didn’t know how to make that happen. His kiss against the Omega’s forehead the night before nearly woke the man and Victor knew he had to be careful. The move had been indulgent and reckless, but he couldn’t help how he felt even after only knowing the Omega a few days.

 

Yuuri was beautiful. His Asian features…the tone of his skin, his jet black hair, and even the cinnamon color that warmed his eyes….Victor knew he’d mated one of the most beautiful Omega’s in the world and yet the Alpha felt like the Omega didn’t see himself in the same way.

 

He would give the Omega everything he could, the world if he asked. At the very least he’d do what he could to try to make Yuuri happy. Despite his upbringing in this rigid country, he’d allowed himself to listen to other ideologies and wasn’t nearly as strict as most of the Alpha’s in this country. Omegas weren’t weak or fragile. Lilia had proved that, making a name for herself as a dancer without Yakov’s help.

 

Russia wouldn’t be kind to Yuuri. He already knew the discrimination and trials that awaited the Omega. There wasn’t any way to protect Yuuri from everything, but he could do his best to make sure his mate wasn’t helpless. Victor wouldn’t treat Yuuri as less than him and he’d make sure that the whole world knew what the Omega meant to him and what it would mean to disrespect his mate.

 

Today would be fun…at least he hoped it would. He wanted to show Yuuri St. Petersburg…their home and what a beautiful place it is. Victor wanted to keep his promise of getting Yuuri reconnected with his family. He also needed to get to the rink to give Yakov the paperwork and he texted him last night about getting in contact with Lilia for Yuuri’s sake. Yakov had approved and offered to reach out to her on their behalf. Victor accepted knowing the sooner they spoke to Lilia, the sooner Yuuri could get back into a familiar routine. On top of that, he wanted to speak to a tutor to be able to learn Russian. Something he planned to do later that day with Yuuri to make sure they were a good fit.

 

It would be overwhelming for Yuuri to experience this all at once, but he knew the Omega had already shown his strength to Victor. He suspected Yuuri was stronger than he himself knew and Victor hoped to help bring out his confidence more with their time spent together. Today would be about Yuuri and his needs.

 

For now, he’d let his sleeping beauty rest a bit longer and decided to get up to make breakfast. Makka followed him out and he fed her and gave her a few quick pats, pouring some food in her bowl before setting to work on his and Yuuri’s food.

 

He’d slipped out to the store the night before, after Yuuri went to bed, managing to get there right before they closed to grab a few things for a western style breakfast. He hoped Yuuri would appreciate the gesture as he made some bacon, sausage, eggs, fried potatoes, and a bit of orange juice. Some of it had been hard to find, but Victor had done some prep the night before to make it work.

 

He brewed some coffee for himself and he’d picked up some green tea for Yuuri. While he noticed that the Omega did drink coffee, he preferred tea first and then coffee. It was a routine Victor saw the last few days they spent at the mansion and he wanted to impress Yuuri with the fact that he noticed.

 

Sure enough, the scent of food traveled down the halls, rousing Yuuri from his sleep. He stood in the entrance to the kitchen in the baggy t-shirt and sweatpants , hair still sleep mused, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before his glasses slid back over his eyes.

 

“Good morning!” He greeted cheerfully. “I’ve made breakfast. Hope you’re hungry.”

 

Yuuri grunted though Victor expected it. While he’d been an early riser for a long time, sleeping little at night and napping during the day, he’d learned quickly that his mate was not a morning person. He usually stayed up later, content to sleep until noon if he could. It surprised the Alpha he was up so early, but he poured Yuuri some tea he prepared, setting it down in front of his mate and turning back to the stove.

 

Putting their breakfast on plates, he set the pots and pans in the sink to soak, pouring and preparing coffee for them, serving his mate first and then himself. Unlike the night before, he didn’t try to talk to Yuuri. The Omega needed a chance to wake up. Still he watched as he slowly ate his breakfast finishing off his tea before switching to the coffee like Victor thought. The little moan at the taste of the coffee made Victor’s heart skip a beat and the Asian man found a small smile for him.

 

“Thank you, Victor.” He murmured, voice still a bit sleep rough. Victor would have done anything to be able to kiss this beautiful man, but he held back. He needed to think with his brain and not be so spontaneous like he always was. Winning Yuuri over needed tact and patience, not his usual approach. He needed to get some advice. Maybe a call to Chris was in order…for some advice.

 

“You’re welcome, solnyshko.” He smiled so hard his jaw hurt. Yuuri being happy meant so much to him. “I wanted to make sure we had a good breakfast to start our day. I hope you’ll enjoy yourself.”

 

Yuuri hummed, face hard to read though Victor suspected he wasn’t completely awake yet. The shyness would most likely return soon. He encouraged the Omega to get in the shower and dress warmly, but comfortable. They’d be doing a lot of walking today and Victor hoped Yuuri was up to it.

 

He cleaned up the kitchen, washing the dishes before going to check on Yuuri. The Omega stood there with a towel around his waist, looking at his suitcase. Victor could feel his frustrations as he shifted finding a single pair of jeans and shuttering at the sight of the clothes the organization that ran the hunt provided for him. The outfits were skimpy and revealing, including lingerie, and feminine panties…fit for an Omega who’s only job was to stay at home with their ass up on the bed waiting for their Alpha to fill their womb with children.

 

While Victor had no doubt Yuuri would be stunning in any of that, he couldn’t help feeling angry on Yuuri’s behalf. He didn’t deserve that and Victor knew he needed to correct it immediately. At least the Omega had been granted one pair of jeans that they could work with, but he knew that getting his mate a more appropriate wardrobe was high on his list. He startled Yuuri, yanking open his closet to find a basic shirt and a sweater. Pulling out some boxers that he’d never worn before, he laid them out on the bed for Yuuri’s scrutiny.

 

“Here, wear these today. They might be a bit big, but they’ll work for now. We’ll pick up a few things for you and we can contact your family about sending some of your things from home when we get a chance. I’m gonna get a quick shower and get dressed and we can head out.”

 

Yuuri just watched him stunned as he moved around to gather his own things and stepping into the bathroom. He quickly showered, washing his hair and body before drying himself off. Quickly dressing, he brushed his teeth and styling his hair. Winking at himself in the mirror, he found Yuuri sitting in the living room, petting Makkachin.

 

He jumped up, flushing as Victor looked at him. His inner Alpha felt pleased that his mate wore his clothes. Yuuri looked stunning, maybe even better than him.

 

“You look fantastic, Yuuri. You can keep those tops.”

 

“Oh, no…I couldn’t.” Yuuri stammered and Victor thought his blushing man was too cute.

 

“I insist. I have plenty of clothes that I won’t miss them. Say you’ll accept them. It’ll give you something to wear while we rebuild your wardrobe.”

 

Yuuri relented after a moment and Victor moved to grab Makkachin’s leash and the paperwork for Yakov. It wouldn’t do to show up to the rink empty handed. The last thing Yuuri needed to see was Yakov’s wrath today.

 

Taking a deep breath, he turned to look at Yuuri. He seemed so nervous about going out that Victor wished he didn’t have to say the things he was about to say, but it needed to be said.

 

“Yuuri, I want us both to have a good time today. There’s a lot we have to do today, but I want to show you around a bit and let you get a feel for the city. I only ask that you stay close to me. I don’t want you to get lost, or worse, have to deal with a traditional Alpha. I see you as my equal in everything…and I don’t think your secondary gender defines you at all, but many Alphas here will and if you’re not near me and ignorant of our customs…I’d hate it if something happened to you. You don’t deserve that.”

 

The words he spoke probably didn’t help Yuuri’s anxiety. He needed him to understand though. Victor knew how Alphas worked in the city. They’d punish Yuuri for not falling in line to what they deemed appropriate. At least if Yuuri was by his side, he could take the brunt of it. As long as Yuuri stayed by his side, his Omega sticking close to his Alpha, no one would say anything to him.

 

Yuuri’s response was to step up, sliding his hand into Victors. It surprised the Alpha and both of them flushed. It took a moment for Yuuri to meet his eyes, speaking with all the confidence he could muster.

 

“If I hold your hand, then you know I’m here by your side. You don’t have to look for me. We’ll have a good day and I’m excited to see St. Petersburg. I’ve been a few times, but Omegas weren’t allowed to leave the hotel to look around. Organizers for our performances worried something might happen, so I know the risk, but I still want to see the city with you.” He paused, seeming to relax. “Take me sightseeing, Victor.”

 

And just like that, they both headed out the door, fingers threaded together as they walked, letting Makkachin lead the way around familiar streets. They went the long way…walking in front of beautiful architecture and bridges. Victor pointed out the path he normally took to the rink, but going the long way was more picturesque.

 

They found their way into a bit of a marketplace and Victor offered to buy Yuuri anything he wanted. The Omega declined saying he’d rather spend it on what they needed. Still, Victor managed to buy some fresh fruit and vegetables at the stall, knowing they’d stay good in the slightly cool weather until they got home. They still had a bit of shopping to do, so they didn’t get much and didn’t linger, heading to the rink next.

 

Several skaters greeted Victor when he arrived. Waving back, Victor led Yuuri to an office off to the side. Through the window, he saw Yakov talking with a woman who’s back remained towards them. Victor would recognize that stiff posture anywhere and knew Yakov had remained true to his word…though he hadn’t expected Lilia to be here in the flesh.

 

Knocking politely, he waited for Yakov to acknowledge him before stepping in with Yuuri. He nodded a greeting to Lilia, the only greeting she expected from him, as he went to Yakov. He knew the former Prima would be looking at his mate, scrutinizing him and judging his worth. Hopefully Yuuri wouldn’t shirk under her intensity. He wished he’d gotten a chance to warn him.

 

_“Vitya,”_ she spoke in Russian, voice stern as always, but the fact that she used his diminutive put him at ease a bit. _“Is this the one Yakov told me about? Your new mate?”_

 

_“Da, his name is Yuuri and he was a professional dancer. I don’t know that much about who he danced for or what his skill level is, but it might be best if he tells you his past and show you his skills.”_ Victor spoke, knowing Lilia would appreciate him letting Yuuri speak for himself.

 

He couldn’t concentrate on Yakov, not that the man would say anything to him about it. The room was tense as Lilia approached Yuuri. The Omega straightened up, meeting Lilia’s gaze despite his nervousness. The woman held out her hand for Yuuri to shake. He did so without hesitation, surprising Victor more.

 

“I am Lilia Baranovskaya. There is no need to introduce yourself, Yuuri Katsuki. I am familiar with Celestino and his company of dancers. You were a rising star within his company, could easily have become a prima ballerina yourself if you wished, though as I understand it, your lack of confidence holds you back.” Her voice remained even, speaking in heavily accented English though Yuuri hung on her every word.

 

“I’m really not as great as people make me out to be. Just a dime a dozen dancer and an Omega. Most well known dancers are either Alphas or Omegas of some renown prior to their careers with better skills than I have.”

 

“The fact that you think you’re nothing special tells me you do not understand your worth. I have seen you perform more than once and your skills are good, but they could be better. At least you have a solid framework on your basics and are strong in both body and form. Not many of my students can say they were the same when they started out with me. I insist you come train with me. We will find your confidence so that you may be recognized as more than simply an Omega…but something original that no Alpha will be able to resist your charms…especially your own mate.”

 

She glanced at Victor before she pulled a pad of paper out of her purse and began to write down a few things. “I expect you to come to my home on these days, starting next week. I want to see where you stand after taking some time off and figure out where to go from here. I do not tolerate you being late or missing your practices, but if you put in the work, I’m sure you’ll see things my way.”

 

She handed Yuuri the paper with the address, dates, and times. Yuuri took it, holding it tightly as if it would disappear if he unclenched his fingers. Reverently he folded it, sticking into the pocket of his pants so not to lose track of it. Lilia took one last look at Victor and then spoke to Yakov about another of her students she’d taken from him before excusing herself. Brisk and business like as usual…Lilia always acted like that and Victor secretly admired her strength and tenacity.

 

He kept his exchange with Yakov brief, needing to get out of there with Yuuri. He was sure that he’d get hung up by a few of his rink mates, but he didn’t want to linger much longer knowing they still had things to do. With St. Petersburg being so big, he doubted he’d be able to show Yuuri everything like he wanted, but it was more important to get done what they needed to get done and set some more time aside to be able to show Yuuri the beauty of the city.

 

Thankfully, they didn’t get caught up too much by his rink mates. Georgi created a bit of a stir, claiming that his beloved Anya didn’t love him any more despite being tied together as mates. While it didn’t surprise him in the slightest, they weren’t going to get held up with the A-level drama that could only come from Georgi. Instead, Victor used the distraction to sneak himself and Yuuri out of there and even Yuuri seemed relieved not to linger at the rink much longer.

 

Victor made sure their next stop took them to a shopping mall to get Yuuri what he needed. Yuuri looked embarrassed at the amount of clothes Victor insisted he try on, complimenting the Omega before adding to the pile to buy. Money didn’t seem to be a problem for Victor, but for Yuuri, having lived on a strict budget and sending money home for years…it was a bit too much. To keep the Omega from thinking about it too much, he set up for the packages to be delivered back to the apartment. While Yuuri shopped for a few other essentials…like proper underwear and other little things that he insisted he might need, Victor kept half a eye on him as he slipped into an electronics store, buying what he needed there and making arrangements to have it delivered as a surprise for his mate. Victor hoped Yuuri would at least accept these gifts from him.

 

He wanted Yuuri to get in touch with his family and give him an outlet to the outside world. He never wanted Yuuri to feel as though he was caged like a captive. His mate deserved so much better than that and if he was going to win Yuuri over, he knew this could be a start to lead to more. Plus if Yuuri was going to start up his career again, he’d need to have a way to be contacted and conduct business. Lilia would make sure that Yuuri would get opportunities to pursue dancing if the Omega really wanted to continue to perform.

 

Making the arrangements to have them delivered with the clothes, he met back up with his mate who was finishing up as well. Victor finalized their arrangements and paid for everything before he took Yuuri to get something to eat at one of his favorite cafes.

 

Makkachin lay under the table, as the sever fawned over the pooch a bit before getting their order. Victor ordered for Yuuri as he couldn’t read Cyrillic, promising it would be something he’d like. Yuuri just nodded, turning contemplative as they sat waiting for food. Victor watched the Omega as he watched the people pass by on the streets. He wanted his mate to talk to him instead of looking so lost and unsure. Today was supposed to be a good day, but right now Yuuri just sat quiet and looked a little worn out.

 

“Did you get everything you needed?” Victor asked, trying to start a little conversation. The question was innocent enough and if Yuuri was stressed about not being able to find something at the very least he could take care of that.

 

“I think so.” Yuuri replied, keeping it short and brief, not even turning to look Victor’s way. Victor frowned.

 

“Yuuri, are you feeling all right? You look a little…stressed. I want to be able to help you, but I don’t know how to do that unless I know what’s wrong.”

 

The Omega looked irritated at his words. Those brown eyes flashed with a bit of frustration even as Yuuri took a few calming breaths as if he was willing himself not to take it out on Victor.

 

“There’s not really a way for you to help me, Victor. I have to get used to this. It’s my problem and I have to work it out myself.”

 

Victor didn’t want that. He didn’t want Yuuri to feel frustrated and he wanted him to feel comfortable enough to talk out what he felt and thought about things. Still, he didn’t want to come off as an overprotective and overbearing Alpha. The best thing he could do…let the Omega come to him whenever he was ready. Carefully, he reached out to place his hand over Yuuri’s needing that connection probably more than Yuuri did.

 

“I’m not going to push for anything from you, Yuuri. I do want you to talk to me, but only if you feel comfortable sharing. I’m willing to wait, as long as it takes for you to feel like you can confide in me. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to be alone in this. I hope that with time, you’ll learn that you can confide in me a bit more. You’re not alone and you don’t have to face your frustrations and problems by yourself if you don’t want to.”

 

Yuuri’s expression softened a bit. He turned his eyes aways, his expression showing Victor he was thinking over his words carefully. Victor watched him, trying to keep calm even though his heart was pounding desperately wanting to know what thoughts went through Yuuri’s head.

 

“I’m not used to relying on someone else. I’ve always been independent…always earned my own way in the world as a dancer and sending money back home. I screwed up…my dog passed away and I bombed an audition. Rumors spread and no matter what I did, I could never land a lead part. The kind of money I could have earned by getting a lead roll…my family needed it to keep our inn afloat. So many people have left my hometown. More and more people leave to find work elsewhere and the inn is the last one operating. We’ve been proud of that, but with everyone leaving…it’s been harder and harder to keep us open in the last year or so.”

 

Yuuri paused collecting his thoughts. “I tried to not get discouraged, but in the end, I pushed myself until I was exhausted, but it never was enough. Celestino and some of the dancers who I let get close to me…bought me a ticket back to Japan to take a break. I felt so guilty, but it’d been five years since I’d been home that I took it. When I got back…my parents and my sister couldn’t hide their struggles from me any longer. They did their best to keep things in order, but the inn needs upgrades, things kept breaking and all they could do is temporary fix things and deal with issues as they came up. So I did the only thing I could do for them. I signed up for the hunt knowing that the money I’d get for participating could pay for repairs and upgrades. If the inn fails…”

 

He grew quiet, the implications of what could happen and the weight of Yuuri’s sacrifice for his family evident in his words. Victor felt like in those words…he understood Yuuri a little better now.

 

“You’re such a strong person and so self-less. I would have felt upset if something happened to Makkachin, and I definitely wouldn’t have been able to perform at my best. Those people had no right to judge you for mourning. Working with Lilia, will reopen some of those opportunities if you want to continue. You deserve to be happy and successful.” Victor thought for a moment curious if this would be a good time to ask this, going with his gut and speaking his mind. “Yuuri, what do you want me to be to you? A supporter? A friend?”

 

Yuuri shook his head, eyes unsure and lost again…thinking about what he wanted from Victor. The Alpha knew what he wanted and Victor let his lips curve with amusement as he put his cards on the table.

 

“Then I guess I’ll just have to make you fall in love with me so that I can be a good mate and lover to you. I’ll do my best.”

 

Yuuri vigorously shook his head, cheeks flushed as he spoke. “No, no, no, no, no…all I want is for you to be yourself. I guess, I was just worried about you seeing my shortcomings. I’m anxious and I’m not that confident. You’ve been so kind Victor, and I’ll never understand while you chose me to be your mate. I’m nothing special and I don’t deserve everything you’ve done for me…the clothes, being introduced with Lilia Baranovskaya…a legend among Omega dancers…and offered personal lessons…”

 

Yuuri let his thoughts trail off. Victor understood a little of why the Omega would feel overwhelmed. Still he felt sad that Yuuri couldn’t see his worth and just how amazing he actually was. He needed to show Yuuri and work with Lilia to build up his confidence. Yuuri was sweet, gorgeous, and so very self-less. He deserved the whole world and more if Victor only knew how to give it to him.

 

“We all have periods in our lives that we struggle and things don’t go our way. It makes us stronger and it means that better things are on the way.” Victor paused. “As for why I chose you…you’re different and you surprise me at every turn. I don’t want an Omega that follows me blindly, I want someone to be my partner and my inspiration. I like to surprise people with my performance and you surprised me when we met…more than you’ll ever know. I can’t explain it in words, but already, I care about you Yuuri.” Victor thought for a moment. “I can tell it bothers you, but I have more money than I know what to do with. It doesn’t bring happiness and I sacrificed myself for my career…sacrificed my life to dance on the ice and love. Please, let me help you with this and you can help me too. Stay with me. Be my inspiration and help me make my apartment a home for the both of us.”

 

Yuuri looked a little shaken by the words, but at least he didn’t look as stressed like before, but he still looked a bit torn. Victor didn’t expect an answer right away and thankfully their food arrived to give them an excuse to stay silent. Normally Victor would chat about anything and everything, but he felt it better to leave Yuuri to his thoughts.

 

They finished their food, leaving the cafe and continued their walk through the streets. Yuuri allowed Victor to continue to hold his hand as they walked, but the Omega seemed lost in thought. Every once in a while he looked like he wanted to say something. It wasn’t until they were walking across the bridge that Yuuri stopped walking holding firm to Victor’s hand as Makkachin tried to lead them away. Victor forced their companion to stop, turning most of his attention to his mate.

 

“I’ve thought about what you said earlier at the cafe. It’s hard for me to accept things I haven’t worked for. I guess I seemed ungrateful for what you’ve done for me and I haven’t been fair about anything even though I told you at the mansion I want this to work. I do want you to just be yourself around me and I do want to work on us being together as mates. I’m hurting both of us with my anxiety. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me Victor, so I’ll do it. For everything you’ve done for me, I’ll do everything I can work to be your inspiration and try to make this apartment our home.”

 

Yuuri stepped closer to Victor, slowly wrapping his arms around Victor’s waist. The Alpha could feel the Omega tremble. Yuuri was still afraid, still anxious of the future, but now he was seeing him make an attempt to reach out. It would be up to Victor to meet him where he was. Victor returned the embrace enjoying the feel of the Omega in his arms. He didn’t realize how much he needed to hold Yuuri in his arms until now. He wanted to scent him too…but wasn’t really willing to push his luck.

 

“I’m not upset with you. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy and that it would take time for you. I want you to be yourself around me. I want you to talk to me about your problems and your fears so we can figure this out together. Let’s both work together.”

 

Yuuri nodded into his coat and Victor felt content to hold on to him a little bit longer. Eventually, he suggested they go home. Yuuri quietly agreed and let Victor lead him home. Yuuri remained close, tucked under Victor’s arm as they walked.

 

The moment on the bridge would change everything for them. Victor felt the shift immediately as they walked, though he really didn’t know what those changes would be. He felt less frustrated and more relieved, reveling in the fact that he could touch his mate. It wasn’t perfect, not yet, but he’d take what he could get and make the most of it.

 

As for their future…his mind was already planning how to get them closer. He needed to be patient and he needed to try to court his mate properly. It was a little backwards…but it would be one way he’d be working to figure things out with Yuuri. He still had his desires and he needed to make this work. He’d prove to Yuuri that they could make this work. He just needed a little bit more time…and then they would be happy.

 

Just a little bit more time…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again sorry about the long absence. If you don't read my other stories or follow me on Discord...it's been a long couple of months. I found out that the company I'd worked for, for the last 10 years was going under and I found a new job that I started back in May. Training has been a bit tough and left me mentally exhausted and now that I'm in transition onto a sales floor, my schedule has changed again and I've been struggling to find inspiration and time to write. I'm fighting to find balance and I really do want to focus on my stories, but bills come first. Still I thank you all for your patience and support and know that I'm not giving up on my stories even if there's a delay on me updating. I'm on Discord more often than not and try to keep everyone up to date there, but if anyone wants to keep track of me...I do read all of my comments here and on Tumblr and I will respond when I can.
> 
> Again, thank you all for continuing to read and know that I'm not abandoning anything. My updating will just be a little slower as I'm working on several projects both old and new and I'm hoping to figure things out and find a balance with things soon! I'm also looking at potentially starting a Patreon...so if anyone would be interested in supporting me there...let me know so I can gauge if it would be worth it to start one up and what you guys would like to see for rewards...
> 
> Wanna talk about my stories with me or just chat...Links Below for my Discord and Tumblr (let me know if something doesn't work):
> 
> Discord: [Here](https://discord.gg/9bu7RA2/)  
> Tumblr: [Here](http://midnightjournalist.tumblr.com/)  
> 


	8. Lesson 8: Learn to Speak Your Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No you're eyes aren't deceiving you...I'm updating another story this week...the world is also not ending. Thank you all for your patience and I know the YOI fandom is slowly waning away, but I'm hopeful we'll get some more news soon. I plan on finishing my stories regardless, even if it takes me a while. I kinda lost my outline for this story, so this is another filler chapter, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. I'll get back to pushing the story forward next chapter. I did a quick edit as always, so please forgive my mistakes. Hope you all enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> Also still Christmas where I am even if it's not too much longer, so Merry Christmas if you celebrate that or Happy Holidays if you don't. Looking forward to the new year!

Yuuri sighed as he ended the phone call, allowing his smart phone to settle in his lap. A soft little smile graced his face as he felt a bit more relief. It felt good to talk to his family, to be able to tell them what’s been going on since he left Japan for Russia.

He’d waited a couple of weeks to get in contact with them even when Victor encouraged him to do it as soon as possible. The Omega wanted to have more to be able to tell them. He wanted to give them some assurance that he was doing well and had a good Alpha.

They’d been surprised to hear from him so soon. His mother cried hearing his voice, but stopped and genuine seemed happy for him when he told them about Victor and his life in Japan. Surprisingly, things were going well for him, extremely well.

He’d been in St. Petersburg for two weeks now and a lot changed since that first day he arrived. For one, things between him and Victor appeared to be going well. The Alpha did everything he could to make Yuuri comfortable. Victor bought Yuuri clothes to give him something more comfortable to wear. The scandalous outfits that still remained in his suitcase were tucked in the back of the closet and probably wouldn’t see the light of day again.

Victor even snuck off and gotten him a laptop and a phone…gifts to make sure that Yuuri could contact his family and also to consider continuing his career. He continued to shower Yuuri with small gifts…trinkets ordered from Japan or Russia, chocolates, and flowers that he used to try to court the Omega. He’d bought some bigger purchases…a chair that Yuuri had been looking at online that looked comfortable to sit in and was surprised to find out he was right. When Yuuri mentioned the hot spring, Victor bought a small hot tub, putting it out on the balcony that looked over the street below. It barely fit with the other furniture out there, but Victor didn’t care. It wasn’t the same, but it was the closest that Victor could get to it, though the weather wasn’t the greatest to get some use out of it…especially going into winter, not that it’d deter the Russian one bit.

Yuuri felt a little embarrassed every time he got a new gift and the big gifts he often told Victor they were unnecessary…too much under the circumstances. Still the Alpha insisted and after the hot tub promised he’d consult Yuuri and they could make decisions together on any future big purchases. They settled on a compromise and Yuuri could live with that.

Besides that, their relations had been going well. Victor had been trying hard to stay in Yuuri’s good graces. He’d been taking Yuuri on a few dates, taking him out to nice place for dinner along with long walks, movies, and even a few fun activities. They’d gotten much closer over the last two weeks…touching each other more freely. Holding hand during dinner and their walks. Sometimes Yuuri allowed Victor to pull him close when they walked, tucked into Victor’s taller frame. A hand on the back or shoulder, gentle brushes of fingers as they stroked his hair. 

It became obvious at times that Victor wanted more. His touch lingered sometimes when he touched Yuuri. Those brilliant blue eyes would linger and shimmer when they fell on Yuuri’s lips as if they wanted to kiss him. It made Yuuri’s heart pound every time it happened. Still the Alpha held back for Yuuri’s sake, taking things slowly as they continued to get to know each other.

Even so, lately Yuuri found his eyes wandering too. He couldn’t deny that Victor was gorgeous, eyes lingering on Victor’s pale skin when he walked around shirtless in the morning. Victor admitted early on that he preferred to sleep naked, but had been wearing pants to bed to make Yuuri more comfortable. Yuuri would watch from the bed, sleepily watching the shift of muscle as Victor would get ready for his early morning run prior to his skating practice.

Nights were still a little awkward as they got ready for bed. They’d start the night in the bed, sticking to their respective sides and then slowly throughout his night they managed to get closer and Yuuri had woken up more than once to being safe in Victor’s arms or to the older man watching him sleep, running his fingers through Yuuri’s hair.

He kept the more intimate details from his family, keeping to the basics when it came to Victor. They wanted to meet him, especially after Yuuri admitted that being mated with Victor opened up a few doors for him to get back into his dancing career. Meeting Lilia Baranovskaya, training under her, was a dream come true. Even Minako, who’d been at the inn when he called, had been impressed that Yuuri was studying under the former prima. He never thought something like this would ever happen to him and Victor paved the way for him.

His family seemed to be happy for him. They expressed their concern time and time again when he suggested participating in the hunt. They’d received the money for his participation, but they hadn’t spent a dime of it. Not until they knew he was safe and well cared for. A weight of guilt and worry lifted off their shoulders and they wanted to know if Victor would allow him to visit.

“He’s an ice skater, so his schedule is tight right now. He’s in training, but Worlds will be in Japan. We’re looking at coming to visit after he’s done competing this season, but it won’t be until next spring at the earliest. I can still call and Skype.” He’d told them wanting to reassure them that his contact hadn’t been restricted by his Alpha.

They promised him that they would have everything waiting for when he arrived home. He arranged for a few of his things to be sent to him from Japan and his family had to go to start lunch service at the inn. At least now they could focus on their customers and not worry constantly about him and his situation. It took a load off his shoulders to think about. He took a brief moment to stretch, his body moving and nudging Makkachin from where she lay. The poodle made a little noise, tail bouncing against the furniture as she wagged it before settling back down once she realized Yuuri was getting up.

Yuuri began to go through a series of stretches, trying to keep his body flexible and limber to prepare for his own training later. Victor had walked him the first couple of times to Lilia’s home making sure he knew the way. Today would be the first day he traveled on his own since Victor would be spending extra time at the rink for the time he missed traveling for the hunt and getting Yuuri settled. It wasn’t too far either…ten to fifteen minutes away depending on whether he just walked or lightly jogged.

Turning on some music he began to warm up a bit more, making sure that he was limber enough to jog and would have to do a minimal warm up once he got there. Lilia had been appreciative of his form and some of his skills, but still pushed him in ways he didn’t know he could be pushed. Still he reveled in it, knowing he had the freedom to be able to dance. He felt like he had a lot to be grateful for, but the nagging in the back of his mind still wondered when enough was enough and Victor would ask for more.

All through his lesson, he knew he was distracted, Lilia calling for him to stop and due a sequence again for being sloppy or wrong. His excitement and dedication gave in to worry and immediately she stopped him, calling for him to take a break. Thankfully this was one of his private lessons, so no one else was around to see him make so many mistakes.

“You are far too distracted to work on your routines today.” Lilia spoke, her tone filled with concern. “In the short time we have worked together you’ve always come to me focused and driven. What has changed?”

“It’s nothing really. I’m being stupid with something I need to figure out on my own is all.” He said a bit too quickly. The older woman gave him a stern look.

“Distraction has no place if you want to be the best and if it is a serious concern, there is no harm in accepting help.” She spoke with confidence and a strict firmness that fit her personality. “At least tell me Victor hasn’t done or said anything to cause this.”

He shook his head quickly. “No, he’s been wonderful giving me time to adjust. I…” he hesitated…”I just wonder if he might ask for more. I’ve been here a month now and we haven’t…done anything since he claimed me. He says he’s content to wait for me to be ready, but…”

“You are worried his patience will run thin and he will demand something of you that you cannot give.”

He nodded. At sounded like she at least got the gist of everything.

“Victor can be a bit childish and immature. He ignores his responsibilities for the most part, though I have never seen anyone who has more passion for skating.” Lilia spoke. “From what Yakov told me, he has been a bit lonely these last few years…wanting a companion…a partner who would accept him as he is. I’ve been watching him since he returned to Russia with you. You may have only been in his life for a few weeks, but his smiles are more genuine and he seems more inspired when I know he was losing his drive to skate. Perhaps you give more to him than you realize. There may come a day when he’ll want more from you, but from what I have seen, I don’t think he will push for more that what you are ready for.”

He took a deep breath, taking in everything Lilia told him. He didn’t know what Victor was like before they met, but he didn’t think Lilia would lie to him. As an Omega herself, she gave Victor a hard time always telling him to take care of Yuuri.

“It would be best if you spoke to Victor about this…find out what his expectations are.”

Yuuri shook his head. “I’ve tried that. He tells me he doesn’t have any expectations or he changes the subject.”

Lilia got a serious expression on her face and Yuuri got the impression she wasn’t pleased with that at all.

“You should try again. For now, you’re too distracted to dance. Return to your home, Yuuri Katsuki. Try to relax for a bit and get these thoughts out of your head. I expect you to be focused at our next session.”

He knew better than to try to argue with her. Nodding and thanking her for her time. It made him feel bad that he wasted her time today, but talking with her helped. He gathered his things and decided to walk instead of jog back to the apartment he shared with Victor. Lilia had told him to go home, but the apartment really didn’t feel like home. Home was the scent of sakura blossoms with the hint of the sea, the sights and sounds of people walking over tatami mats and eating, enjoying the food prepared by the inn. It was the feel of complete relaxation when he stepped into the steaming waters after a long and grueling rehearsal. For him, home was Hasetsu and he didn’t know how to feel about this. Looking up to see the blue skies above him he took a deep breath before finishing his journey to the apartment…his thoughts scattered at the feeling of being homesick.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“VIKTOR!”

The shout rang our from Yakov’s office the same time he touched down from his quad flip. The sound, while not unusual, caught him off guard, and he nearly fell. Managing to catch himself, he turned to see Yakov storming out of the office towards him, face red in anger. Victor couldn’t imagine why he’d be so furious, especially since he’d been on his best behavior after returning with Yuuri. The Omega inspired him that Victor felt the need to adjust his routines, every change perfect and filled with his new found life. Skating over to where Yakov stood behind the barrier, he let the man shout.

“Care to explain to me why Lilia called me to say she’s coming down to the rink to see you? She sounded angry with us both and I’m not about to be on the end of her wrath for something you did.”

“I can’t think of anything.” Victor told him and really he hadn’t done anything that he could think of to anger Lilia personally.

“She mentioned your Omega. What did you do, Vitya?”

At that, Victor froze. He couldn’t think of any reason Yuuri would be the cause of this. Their relationship was far from what a bonded pair should be, but Victor enjoyed coming home to a warm greeting and a soft smile. He found himself falling more and more for Yuuri each day and hoped the Omega felt the same, though Yuuri would have to come to him if he wanted more.

“As far as I know, I haven’t done anything.” 

At least nothing he could think of. He suspected he was about to find out something from Lilia once she got here. He couldn’t say he was going to like this conversation. He and Lilia were often at odds in more ways than one, but at the very least he respected her for her skills and the strength of her will.

Of course, Lilia’s studio wasn’t too far from the rink so it didn’t surprise anyone when the sounds of her boots ominously echoed as she came into the main part of the rink. Victor saw her and made his way off the ice, sliding on his skate guards before heading directly into Yakov’s office. He saw no point in trying to avoid it, and if it gave him some insight on his mate…well he’d tolerate anything for Yuuri.

“Lilia,” he greeted once the door shut behind them. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence today.”

She scrutinized Victor, looking him over as if looking for something in Victor. Whether she found it or not, he couldn’t tell, but she seemed as poised as always when she spoke.

“I should not be interfering, but your mate seemed distracted today at his lesson. I think it would be good for the two of you to talk…lay out some boundaries and let him know your expectations for him.”

Victor shook his head. “I don’t have any for him. It’s…” he paused, not sure what he should divulge what happened at the mansion. “Complicated and I don’t want to share more without talking to Yuuri about it, but I’m trying to let him set the pace in our relationship. Whatever he’s comfortable with, I’m trying to be too.”

“Then you should tell him that. Show him you’re willing to wait for him to be ready too.” She responded, her tone firm, but understanding. “He has been taken away from all he knows, in a foreign land where we have strict expectations on Omegas and how they live their lives. If you keep avoiding talking to him, don’t you think he might assume the worse from you. If you want your mating to build…if you want him to come to love you….you must try to communicate what you want to him…both of you set boundaries and expectations between each other. Then you can stop all this dancing around each other and learn to dance in harmony together.”

Victor took in the words Lilia spoke. He wondered if Yuuri confided in her…told her his fears…instead of talking about it with Victor. Yuuri seemed a bit quiet…more reserved the last few days. Up until now he thought everything was fine between them, but this told him they still had a long way to go to make this work.

“I’ll talk to him tonight. Hopefully he’ll be willing to listen and believe me.” Victor acknowledged, turning to his coach. “I’m heading home early today, Yakov. I’ll make up the time later this week.”

“Go home to your mate, Vitya. The last thing I need is you distracted on the ice this close to a competition. I expect you back and focused tomorrow.”

Victor opened the door to the office and left to gather his things without a word. He unlaced his skates, dropping them in his bag and sliding on his running shoes. Ignoring the stares of his rink mates as he made his way to the door, he welcomed stepping out into the sunshine and set off in a steady pace trying to clear his thoughts. Why hadn’t Yuuri come to him with his concerns? What could he do to make this right and prove that he meant what he said?”

All too soon, he stood outside his apartment, still feeling a bit anxious in a way he never did before. Funny how he knew how to handle his emotions when he stood out on the ice prepared to skate for the world, but when it came to his mate, he felt the nerves creep up and linger.

Pushing the door open, Makkachin greeted him, running to the door with a bark and a whine. Victor knelt down to pet her, hoping to delay the inevitable just a few moments longer. When he managed to find the strength to look up, he could see Yuuri laying on the couch. He was sleeping peacefully and Victor didn’t have the heart to wake him up. Instead, he pulled the blanket off the back of his couch and draped it over Yuuri to keep him warm. Carefully he removed Yuuri’s glasses, placing them on the coffee table, before gently brushing the strands of hair away from his face.

Yuuri looked younger in sleep…more carefree and without worry. He still found Yuuri to be beautiful and he still dreamed of a future with the Omega. Despite their rough beginning, he didn’t feel the aching loneliness that followed him for years. In a matter of such a short time, Yuuri had chased away the coldness of his home and Victor finally had something to look forward to…someone to come home to. He’d be lying to say he didn’t want more, but he wanted Yuuri to want it just as much as he did…want to be with him, have a family with him.

He didn’t know how long he sat there, watching Yuuri sleep, but he continued to watch even as Yuuri stirred, those beautiful reddish-brown eyes looking up at him, confused and a bit hazy from the man just waking. Victor wanted to imprint that look in his mind, wanted more days where he watched the Omega wake with a similar look. He hoped it would one day turn into a smile, a whispered confession, maybe even a kiss or a romp in the bed.

“Victor?” Yuuri’s voice was husky, sleep riddled and a bit confused.

“You looked so peaceful I couldn’t help but watch you sleep a bit. I couldn’t concentrate at the rink, so Yakov told me to come home a bit early. I hope that’s okay.”

“It’s your home. Why wouldn’t it be?”

It stung…hearing those words. They were true, but this was Yuuri’s home now too. It didn’t sound like the younger man felt that way at all. He also realized that asking permission wasn’t the best way to get through to his mate right now.

“It’s your home now too. I know I’ve told you that before and I meant it. If there’s anything I can do to make this place more like a home for you…don’t hesitate to ask.” Victor paused, letting the words sink in. “If you’re feeling up to it, I was thinking we could go out for lunch.”

Yuuri looked up at him, eyes cautious. Victor knew the Omega was questioning his motives. It stung a little, but hopefully by the end they’d be able to understand each other a bit better. Victor wanted to, he just needed to know what it would take to get Yuuri to want that too.

“Sure. Let me go put on something a bit warmer and get my shoes.”

Victor nodded, words getting stuck with the knot in his throat. Maybe it was a good thing to let Yuuri go. It’d give them both a chance to collect themselves. It didn’t take too long for Yuuri to get ready, meeting Victor by the front door with his dark blue coat and a red scarf that he used to cover the bottom half of his face. Victor smiled at the sight of Yuuri bundled up, but he still hoped come summer, there weren’t as many barriers between the two of them…both physical and mental.

The Russian Alpha took Yuuri to one of his favorite restaurants, quiet and homey with the slim chance of Victor being noticed by anyone. He wasn’t ready to introduce Yuuri into the spotlight quite yet, not until he was sure that Yuuri and he could compromise on a few things. When Yuuri asked, he made a few suggestions on what he thought Yuuri might like based on some of the other choices Yuuri had made.

He ended up ordering food for them both, the staff small and local, not really having a knowledge for any language Yuuri knew. Victor knew he’d have to expedite getting Yuuri into lessons to learn Russian, so he have a bit more freedom. Victor had a lot on his mind, so they were fairly quiet between ordering and when their meal arrived. He studied his mate, questioning what the Omega might be thinking. Yuuri fidgeted under his gaze a bit, but didn’t say anything. It was a bit awkward, so they were grateful when the food arrived.

Victor continued to watch Yuuri throughout the meal as he ate. Yuuri seemed to feel less awkward with something to do, and Victor watched as he seemed to savor each bite of his food. The first few bites, his eyes closing in appreciation at trying something new. It warmed Victor’s heart a bit, helping to chase away the darker thoughts and doubts that lingered over his heat. Impulsively, he took a small bite of his own meal on his fork, holding it out to Yuuri.

“Do you want to try? See if you like it?”

Yuuri hesitated for a moment, studying Victor’s face. Tentatively, he took the bite from the fork, a small sound escaping as the taste hit his tongue. The dish happened to be one of Victor’s favorites, so he couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face at Yuuri’s reaction. The Omega blushed, hand covering his mouth as if embarrassed.

“I’m glad you like it, solnyshko. You’re welcome to have more if you want.”

His Omega shook his head quickly, words coming out in a slightly panicked rush. “It was good, but I don’t think I should have more. I’ve…always gained weight easily, so I try to avoid food that might counter my diet.”

Victor wasn’t all that surprised by that. He knew Yuuri spent much of his time training to be a dancer, and with him being an Omega, his body certainly worked against him. Still Yuuri persevered and had disciplined himself to continue to do what he was most passionate about.

The lapsed into another silence, but it was a bit more comfortable. The rest of the meal passed in a blur. Victor paid and he held out his hand hoping Yuuri would take it. When Yuuri did without hesitation, Victor led him through the streets wandering until they made it back to the apartment. Perhaps it was time for them to sit down and talk about what was on his mind. He started forward, but he felt a bit of resistance from Yuuri.

Victor stopped to turn to look at Yuuri who hadn’t moved when Victor stepped forward. “Yuuri?”

“Is something wrong, Victor? You’ve been quiet since you came back to the apartment earlier. It’s not like you at all.”

Victor shook head in denial. “I guess I just have a lot on my mind. Let’s go inside and warm up, maybe we can talk for a little bit.”

“Oh…” Yuuri responded simply as he followed his mate inside. On the way up Victor watched him, noticing how he reached up with his free hand to fidget with his scarf…a nervous gesture that the Alpha slowly started to catch on to.

They made their way into to apartment, both greeting Makkachin before stripping themselves of their shoes and winter gear. They both eventually found their way over to the couch. Victor noticed just how much distance Yuuri sat away from him. The Omega sat on the far end of the couch, legs drawn up defensively almost as he tried to put a barrier between them. The silence stretched for a few moments, and Victor knew he needed to say something first.

“Lilia stopped by the rink today.” Victor added. “She told me that you were distracted at your practice today…that the two of you talked.”

He saw Yuuri visibly flinch at his words. The Omega looked anxious and Victor realized he expected Victor to be upset with him.

“She didn’t betray your confidence though she gave me an earful for not talking to you. I got scolded for being a bad Alpha and I suppose I have been avoiding making myself clear to you.” He paused to take a breath. “I don’t want to put expectations on our relationship, Yuuri. I really am content at going at your pace. As your mate, I do want more, but not if it makes you unhappy. I want our relationship built on trust…and eventually I hope for the best between us…”

“You can’t say that, Victor.” Yuuri’s voice sounded so defeated. He sounded tired and in denial. It caused the ache in Victor’s chest to grow. “I know how this works…I know what’s expected of me as an Omega. I know a little of how Russia views Omegas. It won’t take long before people question why I’m going to a dance studio or even performing on stage if I get the chance to. They’ll question if we don’t have kids or not pregnant within the first year we’re mated. You can’t tell me you don’t want a family…you told me as much when we met.”

“I won’t deny that. I do want a family, but more than that, I’ve always wanted an Omega who can surprise me.” Victor said thoughtfully. “I never wanted one who saw their only purpose in life was to run our home, warm my bed, or raise my family. I wanted you because I knew you were different, Yuuri. Even if I didn’t know the whole story until much later, I saw the fire in you…the desire to continue your dreams despite being an Omega. I don’t want you to give up on that and I’m certainly still focused on my own career as a skater. When we have children, it’ll be because we both want to and when we’re ready…not because everyone else thinks they know how we should run our lives.”

Victor paused, letting Yuuri take in everything he was trying to tell him. Yuuri still looked a little unsure.

“Yuuri, I know that you said you were willing to meet me half way with this…that you accepted that you were caught by me, bonded to me and everything that came with it, but I know that’s not fair to you. I knew that from the beginning, but with everything happening so quickly, with my competition coming up, I thought I could avoid it as I always do. That’s not fair to you either.”

“Life’s never been fair…especially not for Omegas.” Yuuri responded sounding angry at the thought. Victor saw the look in his eyes, the flash that told me that Yuuri still held out a little hope. He looked like he wanted to believe Victor…but as things stood, Yuuri didn’t have any reason to trust him.

“I want to start over with you, Yuuri. I can’t go back and undo the bond mark…but, I meant what I said when I said I wanted to experience love. I know we can build a good life together if we build something between us. I don’t want you to feel obligated to me and we both can’t force feelings that aren’t there. I know I’ve been doing some of this already, but I want to take you out more…court you like you deserve. I want to make an effort since you’re making an effort. It’ll be hard with the season only a couple weeks away, but I want you to travel with me. My first competition is in France…we can go sight seeing and you can learn a little bit more about me and what I do.”

Yuuri looked deep in thought. Victor gave him a lot to think about and if it took a bit for him to come to a decision, the Alpha knew he could be patient and wait. Still, he watched Yuuri, waited until Yuuri started to relax a bit more, letting his legs fall.

“I think I’d like that. I do want to get to know you. I guess…I let my anxiety get the better of me and even though I told you I’d try to make this work…I haven’t been very fair to you either. I’ve been holding myself back…afraid to let you see my shortcomings…my fears and anxieties…not knowing how you’d take them. You’ve been more gracious than I’ve deserved and I was worried when you’d ask for more….more than I was comfortable giving.”

“Never.” Victor told him with conviction. “You’re not a weak person, Yuuri. I see more of your strength every day and I don’t think any less of you for feeling weak or not being ready. We have time to do this right, to build our connection and our family. Is that something you’d want? A family?”

Victor almost hated asking, but needed to. He needed to know where Yuuri stood. He’d be crushed if Yuuri didn’t feel the same, but he also knew that it was a bridge they could cross when they get to it.

“I do want a family…someday…if I didn’t I wouldn’t have even thought about participating in the Hunt.” Yuuri admitted. “I just thought it’d be later than sooner. There’s so much I wanted to accomplish with my career.”

“Then you will.” Victor said. “I’ll support you no matter what you want to do. For now, we can say on a public front that we’re holding off until my retirement to start a family. People will accept that answer for now. I still have a few good years left in me. The last thing the FFKK wants is for me to be distracted when I’m at the peak of my career. Don’t worry about that for now, I’ve got this…and if not me, Yakov is a genius at covering for me.”

That got Yuuri to laugh a little. Victor realized that it was probably the first time he’d seen his mate laugh. There hadn’t been much for the Omega to laugh at, but now that he had, Victor wanted to hear it more often.

“All right, then I’ll leave it to you.” Yuuri responded, eyes warm for the first time as well. “And I’ll go with you to France. I’ve never had a chance to go. It could be fun. You’ll have to take me sightseeing.”

“Of course.” Victor finally allowed himself to smile, excited for their trip now. He’d be working for most of it, but no doubt they could find time to sightsee or do a little shopping. Victor wanted to make sure Yuuri had the best time. Plus Paris, where the competition was being held, was often called the city of love. Maybe it’s magic would work on them as well.

Finally, things were starting to take a step in the right direction…and Victor couldn’t be happier…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for being patient with me...work is starting to stabilize even if my evening schedule is taking a bit of getting used to. I'm hoping in January to be able to start updating at least once a month or at least get on a semi-regular writing schedule again. I've kinda been too tired to be motivated, but I popped out two updates, and my Secret Santa in less than a week, so there's hope for me yet. If you're still following or new to reading, please leave kudos and comments...they'll really help to motivate me to keep it up!
> 
> Wanna talk about my stories with me...feel free to ask questions on Tumblr (Yes I know Tumblr is dying, but I'm not going anywhere since I don't really have anything to worry about) or join my Discord channel. Discord is still kinda small, but I've got some good people active on there and they're fun to talk to. Links Below:
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**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! I take constructive criticism, but please let me know at least one thing you liked about the story. Also you can follow me on Tumblr. I'm a bit of a quiet lurker, but I will answer if you ask me a question and I try to respond to comments. Thanks for reading!
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